Reconstruction Amendments

The Reconstruction Amendments are three constitutional changes made after the Civil War to ensure freedom and equality for former enslaved people and to reshape the United States. The 13th Amendment (1865) abolished slavery. The 14th Amendment (1868) granted citizenship and equal protections under the law to all people born or naturalized in the U.S. It also addressed civil rights for former slaves. The 15th Amendment (1870) prohibited denying voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Together, these amendments aimed to secure civil rights and reshape American society after the Civil War.