Post-Civil War Amendments: 13th and 14th

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery in the United States, ending it as an institution.

14th Amendment

Ratified in July 1868; grants citizenship to all Americans born in or naturalized to the United States (birthright citizenship).

15th Amendment

Ratified in February 1870; prohibits states from denying or abridging a citizen's right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude," extending suffrage to African American men.

Constitutional Amendment Ratification Rule

Requires approval by rac{3}{4} of the states (a supermajority) for an amendment to become part of the Constitution.

Library of Congress (Washington, DC)

Cited as the source for information regarding the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments in the note.

Post-Civil War transition

The period immediately following the American Civil War, characterized by efforts to reconstruct the South and integrate formerly enslaved people into society, often amidst violence and leading toward racial segregation.