Define the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments and were added to the United States Constitution during the period of Reconstruction following the American Civil War.
1. The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States. It essentially ended the institution of slavery, except as a punishment for crime.
2. The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted civil rights and equal protection under the law to all individuals born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves. It aimed to provide legal protection for the rights of the newly freed slaves and to prevent discrimination in the future.
3. The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It aimed to give African American men the right to vote and protect their voting rights from discriminatory practices such as poll taxes or literacy tests.