The Civil War amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th) to the US Constitution were ratified after the Civil War and addressed issues raised by the conflict. The 13th amendment outlawed slavery, the 14th amendment sought to protect the rights of freed slaves, and the 15th amendment sought to protect former slaves’ ability to vote. These amendments marked the beginning of the civil rights movement and ensured that all states treated their citizens equally, regardless of race. The 15th Amendment granted African-American men the right to vote, but women of any race were not granted the right to vote until 1920.
Civil War amendments include the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the United States Constitution. Amendments are used to make changes to official documents, and each of the Civil War Amendments introduced a change to the way the United States was governed. While these amendments did not all happen at the same time, they were all ratified after the Civil War and addressed issues raised by the conflict. The 13th amendment outlawed slavery, the 14th amendment sought to protect the rights of freed slaves, and the 15th amendment sought to protect former slaves’ ability to vote.
Each of the Civil War amendments addressed the issue of slavery and the treatment of individuals at the federal rather than the state level. Making amendments to the Constitution meant that all of the United States treated its residents equally. Before the Civil War amendments were enacted, each state could make its own rules about how its citizens were treated and regarded. The Civil War Amendments marked the beginning of the civil rights movement.
The 13th amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865, prohibited slavery in the United States. The first of the Civil War amendments, the 13th amendment freed all current slaves and prohibited the use of forced labor. This amendment also gave Congress the authority to create laws and regulations that would enforce the 13th amendment. While outlawing slavery was a start, more amendments were needed due to the reaction of states and businesses in the North and South.
Three years later, the 14th amendment was created to guarantee the rights of all citizens of the United States. Ratified on July 9, 1868, the second of the Civil War amendments made it impossible for states to treat citizens of different races with different laws. The 14th Amendment aimed to ensure that all states treated their citizens equally, regardless of race, and was used in the famous 1954 civil rights case, Brown vs. Board of Education, which outlawed racial segregation.
Enacted on February 3, 1870, the last of the Civil War amendments aimed to grant former slaves the right to vote. The 15th Amendment prohibits states from prohibiting citizens from voting based on race or color or their former slave status. While this amendment gave African-American men the right to vote, it did not provide voting privileges for women of any race; women would not be granted the right to vote until 1920, 50 years later.
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