Omar Bennett
The American Civil War was fought between the Union (the North) and the Confederacy (the South) from April 1861 to May 1865. The central conflict leading to the war was a dispute over whether slavery should be permitted to expand into the western territories. While the American Constitution did not initially abolish slavery, the Reconstruction Amendments adopted in the five years immediately following the Civil War outlawed slavery, guaranteed citizenship and granted voting rights to former slaves. These amendments were the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the Civil War | April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865 |
| Central conflict leading to the Civil War | Dispute over whether slavery should be permitted to expand into the western territories |
| Outcome of the Civil War | The Confederacy collapsed, slavery was abolished, and four million enslaved black people were freed |
| Reconstruction Amendments | 13th outlawing slavery (1865), 14th guaranteeing citizenship to former slaves (1868), and the 15th prohibiting the denial of voting rights on the basis of race (1870) |
| Reconstruction Act of 1867 | Each former Confederate state was required to write a new constitution and ratify the Fourteenth Amendment |
| America's first constitution | The Articles of Confederation |
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What You'll Learn
The Reconstruction Amendments
The Thirteenth Amendment, proposed in 1864 and ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. This amendment represented a significant shift from the original Constitution, which had tacitly enshrined slavery through provisions such as the Three-Fifths Compromise.
The Fourteenth Amendment, proposed in 1866 and ratified in 1868, addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws for all persons. It defines all people born in the United States as citizens, requires due process of law, and mandates equal protection for all citizens. Thaddeus Stevens, the Republican floor leader in the House of Representatives, played a crucial role in advocating for this amendment, believing that Reconstruction offered a chance to create a "perfect republic" with equal civil and political rights for all.
The Fifteenth Amendment, proposed in 1869 and ratified in 1870, prohibits federal and state governments from denying a citizen's right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This amendment was particularly significant as, by 1869, voting rights had been restricted in all states to white men. The Fifteenth Amendment ensured that African Americans, particularly black men, gained the right to vote, marking a pivotal moment in the struggle for racial equality.
While the Reconstruction Amendments represented a significant step towards equality and freedom for African Americans, their full promise was not immediately realized. Throughout the late 19th century, state laws and federal court decisions, such as the Slaughter-House Cases in 1873 and Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, undermined the gains made by these amendments. It was not until the mid-20th century, with landmark Supreme Court decisions like Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and civil rights legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, that the ideals of the Reconstruction Amendments were more fully realized and their protections extended to all citizens.
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The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and prohibited involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crimes. It was proposed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified by several state legislatures on various dates in early 1865. The 13th Amendment formed the constitutional basis for the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which ensured citizenship for former slaves.
The 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment guaranteed birthright citizenship and ensured equal protection under the law. It was proposed by Congress on June 13, 1866 and ratified by the required number of states by July 9, 1868. The 14th Amendment also eliminated the three-fifths rule and punished states that did not permit male citizens over 21 years old to vote. Additionally, it barred those who had engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States from holding public office.
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment expanded voting rights by prohibiting discrimination based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." It was passed by Congress to protect the voting rights of African Americans, who were facing violence and intimidation from white southerners and organizations like the Ku Klux Klan. By 1871, 31 out of 37 states had ratified the 15th Amendment. However, it did not outlaw literacy tests and poll taxes, which could still prevent some individuals from voting.
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Outlawing slavery
The US Constitution did not rewrite slavery laws after the Civil War. Instead, it was amended to outlaw the practice. Before the Civil War, slavery was only sparingly mentioned in the Constitution. The Three-Fifths Compromise, mentioned in Article I, Section 2, Clause 3, was the only reference to the way enslaved people were regarded by the federal government. This clause stated that enslaved people were considered "three-fifths" of a fully free citizen for the purpose of apportioning seats in the House of Representatives. The Fugitive Slave Clause, located in Article IV, Section 2, asserted that a slave remained a slave even if they fled to a non-slavery state.
During the Civil War, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, declaring that "all persons held as slaves [...] shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." However, this proclamation did not end slavery nationwide as it only applied to areas of the Confederacy in rebellion and not to the "loyal" border states that remained in the Union. Lincoln recognised that a constitutional amendment was necessary to guarantee the abolishment of slavery.
The 13th Amendment, passed at the end of the Civil War, abolished slavery in the United States. It was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865. The amendment states that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." In addition to abolishing slavery, the 13th Amendment also restricted other forms of bound labour and servitude, such as indentured servitude and peonage.
The 13th Amendment was one of the Reconstruction Amendments, which also included the 14th and 15th Amendments. These amendments were adopted between 1865 and 1870, the five years immediately following the Civil War. They greatly expanded the civil rights of Americans, including African Americans, by protecting their rights and granting them citizenship and voting rights. The Reconstruction Act of 1867 outlined the terms for the readmission of former Confederate states to representation, requiring them to write new constitutions and ratify the 14th Amendment to protect the rights of African Americans.
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Granting citizenship to former slaves
The US Constitution was not rewritten after the Civil War. However, three new amendments were added to it, abolishing slavery, providing equal protection under the law for all citizens, and banning racial discrimination in voting.
The 13th Amendment, passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, by the House of Representatives on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime. This amendment was the first of three Reconstruction Amendments adopted following the Civil War.
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, three years after the abolition of slavery, served to define African Americans as equal citizens under the law. It established the principle of birthright citizenship, meaning anyone born in the US is automatically a citizen. This clause did not apply to Native Americans, who were only granted citizenship in 1924. The 14th Amendment also extended the liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people.
Despite the promises of the 14th Amendment, it failed to protect the rights of Black citizens. Southern states passed laws known as Black Codes, which restricted the civil rights of newly freed African Americans and forced them to work for their former enslavers. Black and White citizens worked to make the promises of the 14th Amendment a reality, but they did not succeed during the Reconstruction era. However, their efforts laid the groundwork for change in the 20th century.
The Reconstruction Act of 1867 outlined the terms for the readmission of former Confederate states to representation. Each state was required to write a new constitution, which needed to be approved by a majority of voters, including African Americans. They also had to ratify the 14th Amendment and meet criteria related to protecting the rights of African Americans and their property.
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The ratification process
The American Civil War, fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), ended on May 26, 1865, with the collapse of the Confederacy and the abolition of slavery. The war left an estimated 698,000 soldiers dead and an unknown number of civilian casualties, making it the bloodiest conflict in American history.
In the aftermath, the nation entered a period known as the Reconstruction era, which lasted from 1865 to 1877. The primary objectives of this era were to reunify the Union, ensure a "republican form of government" in the former Confederate states, and secure the rights and freedoms of the four million emancipated Black Americans.
To achieve these goals, three "Reconstruction Amendments" were made to the Constitution:
- The Thirteenth Amendment, ratified in 1865, outlawed slavery.
- The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to former slaves.
- The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited the denial of voting rights based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
The Reconstruction Act of 1867 outlined the requirements for the former Confederate states (except Tennessee) to regain representation in Congress. Each state was mandated to draft a new constitution, which had to be approved by a majority of voters, including African Americans. Additionally, they were required to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, protecting the rights of African Americans and their property. Arkansas was the first state to meet these criteria and regain representation in 1868.
The Reconstruction Amendments addressed the shortcomings of the original Constitution, which did not abolish slavery nor grant citizenship and voting rights to former slaves. These amendments laid the foundation for civil rights laws and contributed significantly to the nation's "Second Founding."
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Frequently asked questions
No, the U.S. Constitution was not rewritten after the Civil War. However, three "Reconstruction Amendments" were added to the Constitution: the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery (1865), the 14th Amendment guaranteed citizenship to former slaves (1868), and the 15th Amendment prohibited the denial of voting rights based on race (1870).
The central conflict leading to the American Civil War was a dispute over whether slavery should be permitted to expand into the western territories, which would have led to more slave states.
The Confederacy collapsed, slavery was abolished, and four million enslaved Black people were freed. The nation then entered the Reconstruction era, which aimed to rebuild the country, bring the former Confederate states back into the Union, and grant civil rights to freed slaves.
The Reconstruction Amendments were the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, adopted between 1865 and 1870. These amendments abolished slavery, granted citizenship and voting rights to former slaves, and prohibited discrimination in voting based on race.
