Reconstruction and 13th - 15th Amendments

    After the Civil War, everything changed. With that change came new amendments. These new amendments were the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th Amendments. Each amendment was different, but was around the same parameters as the last.

    The 13^th Amendment forbids slavery. This was great because slaves didn’t have to worry about the possibility of slavery coming back. The14^th Amendment granted citizenship to freedmen and equal protection under the law. It also prevented former Confederate officials from holding office. This too was a relief to slaves, and northerners because they didn’t have to fret about a Confederate winning the election, and repealing slavery being abolished, or any other law that had to do with it. The 15^th Amendment granted the right to vote to all men regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. In addition this was a joy because slaves were actually becoming American citizens rather than just living in America.

    With the new amendments in place, plans for reconstruction were created. Lincoln was quick to return to the Union. He made it so that southerners were pardoned if they took an oath of allegiance. Imagine the situation like club made by kids. A kid left the U.S.A club to make his own because he didn’t like how things were being ran. The club wasn’t a success, but the U.S.A club said that he could rejoin if he took an oath saying that he wouldn’t leave the club again, and he would abide by the rules. Except, there was one catch for the ACTUAL U.S.A club (America the country). When 10% of voters took the oath, the state was allowed to rejoin the country and form a state government.

      Politicians agreed with Lincoln’s philosophy, but some wanted to add things. For example, Andrew Johnson agreed with Lincoln’s plan, approved the 13^th Amendment, but also wanted to nullify ordinances of secession. The Congressional approved and required the 14^th Amendment to be in place, and placed states under military rule. 

*Representation of no slavery*

Sources

*http://griid.org/2010/12/24/the-largest-prison-strike-in-american-history-goes-ignored-by-us-media/