RECONSTRUCTION

13TH AMENDMENT

In 1863 President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring "all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."

Lincoln lobbied Congress to amend the U.S. Constitution to end slavery.

The Senate passed the 13th amendment in April, 1864.

The 13th amendment was passed at the end of the Civil War before the Southern states were restored to the Union.

The House of Representatives passed the 13th amendment after Lincoln's second inaugural in January, 1865.

Sections of 13th Amendment

Section 1: States that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist in the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Section 2: States that Congress has the authority to enforce the article through legislation.

Eighteen of the 27 states of the Union ratified the amendment in February, 1865.

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution must be ratified by three-fourths of the states.

The first state to ratify the 13th amendment was Illinois on February 1, 1865. President Lincoln was from Illinois.

The last state to ratify the 13th Amendment was Georgia on December 6, 1865.

14TH AMENDMENT

-Granted citizenship to "all born or nationalized Citizens in the United States."
-(included former slaves recently freed.)
-Forbids states from denying any person "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

-Ratified on July 9, 1869.
-Directly mentions the role of the states.
-Greatly expanded the protection of Civil Rights to all Americans.
-This is citied in more litigation than any other amendment.

-This amendment had been rejected by most Southern states.
-Ratified by the required 3/4 of the state.
-known as the "Reconstruction Period."
-Other groups (women and African Americans) tried to use the 14th Amendment to further their causes.

Important Dates:
-On June 8, 1866 the Senate passed this amendment by a vote of 33 to 11.
-On June 13, 1866 the House of Representatives passed this amendment by a vote of 120 to 32.
-On July 28, 1868 secretary William Seward issued a proclamation certifying the ratification of the 14th Amendment by the states.

The 14th Amendment had four principles:
1.) State and federal citizenship for all people regardless of race, both born and naturalized in the U.S. was reaffirmed.
2.) No state would be allowed to abridge the "privileges and immunities" of citizens.
3.) No person was allowed to be deprived of life, liberty, or property without "due process of law".
4.) No person could be denied "equal protection of the laws."

SOURCES

• . ""10 Facts about the 13th Amendment." "10 Facts about the 13th Amendment.". N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar 2014. .
• . "Thirteenth Amendment.". N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar 2014. .
• ""13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865) ." . N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar 2014. .
• "14th Amendment.". N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Mar 2014. .
• "14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868)." . N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Mar 2014. .

CON. SOURCES:

• "14th Amendment Summary." . N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Mar 2014. .