1. The 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments
A look at the Reconstruction
Amendments!

2. Reconstruction
After the Civil War the South
was hurt really badly. Many
cities, farms, and businesses
were destroyed by the war!

3. Reconstruction Images

4. Reconstruction
Slaves were now free because of
the Emancipation
Proclamation signed by
Abraham Lincoln during the
Civil War.

5. Amendments
The United States
Government in
Washington D.C.
decided to help the
South and make some
changes that would
help the freed slaves
and make America a
better place to live.
They passed three
important
Amendments.

6. QUICK....
What is an
AMENDMENT!?

7. Amendment
A change to the
Constitution!

8. 13 Amendment
th
What
Does
This
Mean?

9. 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment
declared that slavery would
not be allowed to exist in the
United States.
It made slavery illegal!

10. 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment gave citizenship
to African Americans!
A person’s race could not be a reason to
deny them citizenship.

11. 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment
declared that states could
not limit the rights of
citizens.
States could not take
away life,
liberty(freedom), or
property without due
process of the law.

12. Due Process
What does it mean by due process in the
14th Amendment?
Due Process means that the
Government must follow the
Constitution and all of the Bill of
Rights in it before it can take
away anything from you.

13. Due Process
In other words, the government
must give a person a fair and fast
trial before they can take away a
person’s rights!

14. 15 Amendment
th
What does this mean?

15. 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment gave all
men the right to vote, no
matter what their skin color
was or if they had been
enslaved.

16. 15 Amendment
th
What
about
women?

17. 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
13th Amendment - It made
slavery unconstitutional
and illegal!
14th Amendment - It
stated that states could not
take away the rights of
citizens without due process
of the law.
15th Amendment - It
allowed all men to vote, no
matter their skin color.

18. Amendment Fever!
Directions - You and your group
must work together. Your goal is to
guess the correct Amendment that is
being violated or broken. Each team’s
recorder will keep track of their team’s
points. The team with the most points,
will get a prize next class!!

19. #1
Jim lives in the South after the
Civil War. As he is trying to leave
the plantation where he used to be a
slave, his plantation owner Mr.
Johnson stops him and says, “I
paid for you, you are my slave, you
must stay!”
What Amendment is Mr. Johnson
breaking?

20. ANSWER!
13th
Mr. Johnson can not tell anyone
to be a slave! Slavery became
unconstitutional with the 13th
Amendment

21. #2
A old old man named Larry
wobbles up to the voting booth.
Sarah, the person that works at
the voting place says, “Go away
old man, you can’t vote here!”
What Amendment is Sarah
breaking?

22. ANSWER
15th Amendment
According to the 15th Amendment, all
men have the right to vote no matter
what race they are.

23. #3
It is 1865, and the Sheriff in a
small town arrests Steve, a former
slave, for stealing food from the
market. The Sheriff throws him
jail and never gives him a trial.
What Amendment is the Sheriff
breaking?

24. ANSWER
The 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment says you must
have due process (which includes a
trial) before they can take anything
away such as your liberty (freedom).

25. #4
A man decides that he needs
people to work at a factory, but
he can’t pay them. He decides to
force his employees to work
without paying them a single
dollar.
What amendment is the man
breaking?

26. ANSWER
The 13th Amendment - The
man cannot force people to
work for free!

27. #5
John came home from work one afternoon
and noticed that all of his property was
gone. He saw a note and it said, “We have
taken your property because you owe us
money. Thanks, U.S. Government.” He had
nobody to contact to get the stuff back.
What Amendment did the Government
break?

28. ANSWER
The 14th Amendment - Nobody is
allowed to take your property
without due process. This means that
if the government wants to do
something, you have the right to go to
court. It is up to the Government to
prove their case, not for you to prove
your innocence of a crime.

29. Conclusion
13th Amendment - Ended Slavery
14th Amendment - Due Process
Due Process - the government
must respect all of your legal
rights not just some.
15th Amendment - All men can
vote