Answer to Question #177677 in History for mackenzie beard

Question

why did reconstruction include the 13th 14th and 15th amendments

Answer 1

The Civil War Amendments namely 13^th, 14^th and 15^th Amendments to the US constitution were included in the reconstruction because they were designed to grant freedom to former slaves and ensure equality in civil rights to emancipated slaves. The Reconstruction Era intended to bring back the Southern states to the Union as well as guarantee civil rights to emancipated African-Americans. The 13^th amendment warranted this objective as it explicitly abolished slavery and involuntary servitude with exception of punishment of a crime. The 14^th amendment defined citizenship rights and pushed for equal protection of the laws for all persons. It: asserted that anyone born or naturalized in the United States was a citizen of the United States, confirmed the right to due process, life, liberty and property, and redefined the formulae for determining political representation by counting all residents as whole persons. The 15^th amendment provided legal protection for voting rights by prohibiting discrimination in voting rights for US citizens based on race, color or previous condition of servitude. The three amendments were thus part of reconstruction of the United States as they intended to protect the rights of freed slaves following the Civil War.