Name___________________________________________Period______Date_____________
The Reconstruction Amendments
Three Amendments to the US Constitution were ratified during Reconstruction. Here are the major
provisions of each. The Full Amendments can be found on page 484 of your History Alive! Text book.
Amendment XIII (13)
Section 1. 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.
Amendment XIV (14)
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.
No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities
of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or
property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the
equal protection of the laws.
Amendment XV (15)
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude.
Please answer the following questions about the Amendments.
13th Amendment
1. What is the basic Provision of the 13th Amendment? ______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. For what does the 13th Amendment fail to provide?________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
14th Amendment
1. What people are US citizens according to the 14th Amendment?________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What was the purpose of the statement of citizenship?________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. What are the “privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States”? __________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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4. Define “due process of law.”_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. Define “equal protection of the laws.”______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. Why were these clauses included in the Amendment?_______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. Summarize the other provisions of the 14th Amendment (page 484 of History Alive!)
Sect. 2.____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Sect. 3.____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Sect. 4.____________________________________________________________________
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15th Amendment
8. What is the basic provision of the 15th Amendment? _________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. Why was this amendment adopted? _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. List some of the ways the South was able to avoid application of this amendment._________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Answers
13th Amendment(1865)
1. What is the basic Provision of the 13th Amendment? It ended slavery in the US, everywhere
not just in the former confederacy
2. For what does the 13th Amendment fail to provide? Citizenship or rights to the freed slaves
14th Amendment(1868)
1. What people are US citizens according to the 14th Amendment? Any person born or
naturalized in the United States
2. What was the purpose of the statement of citizenship? To make all former slaves citizens.
Almost all former slaves had been born in the US
3. What are the “privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States”? Civil Rights
4. Define “due process of law.” the administration of justice according to established rules and
principles; Rules the government must follow in order to prosecute someone
5. Define “equal protection of the laws.” Laws must be applied the same towards all citizens
regardless of race, gender or previous condition of servitude
6. Why were these clauses included in the Amendment? To ensure former slaves were being not
being denied basic rights
7. Summarize the other provisions of the 14th Amendment.
Sect. 2.Did away with the 3/5 compromise. Also, if any citizens (specifically former slaves)
were denied the right to vote by a state, that state would lose representation in Congress
Sect. 3. Anyone who had held a state or federal office before the Civil War and had
participated in seccession could no longer hold state or federal office; i.e.former confederates
could not run for office
Sect. 4. Any debt owed by the Confederate govt. would NOT be paid, including
pensions,salaries or loans. If anyone (like southern planters) lent money to the CSA, that
money was gone. Also, there would be no $ paid for the loss of slaves
15th Amendment(1870)
8. What is the basic provision of the 15th Amendment? Every male citizen has a right to vote
9. Why was this amendment adopted? Former slaves were being denied their right to vote by the
post reconstruction state governments
10. List some of the ways the South was able to avoid application of this amendment. Poll taxes,
literacy tests, outright physical intimidation