Introduction

After the Civil War, Reconstruction brought a number of changes and challenges to the nation. From 1865 to 1870, three key amendments were added to the U.S. Constitution. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments promised great changes in the lives of African Americans. Unfortunately, however, there were constant attempts to strip African Americans of the new freedoms promised by the Constitution.

Assignment

How did the Reconstruction Amendments affect the lives of African Americans? Were the amendments successful in helping improve the lives of African Americans? Analyze the different view points of Frederick Douglass, Prof. J. M. Langston, Sheldon N. Messer, and Congressman T. W. Hardwick. Whose views do you agree or disagree with based on the amendments?

Primary Sources

13th Amendment [ link ]

14th Amendment [ link ]

15th Amendment [ link ]

Frederick Douglass on Emancipation [ link ]

Prof. J.M. Langston at the Fifteenth Amendment Celebration [ link ]

Sheldon N. Messer, Righteous Rage [ link ]

Secondary Sources

Reconstruction: The Second Civil War [ link ]

Reconstruction and Its Aftermath [ link ]

Overview: Reconstruction Amendments [ link ]

The Creation of the 13th Amendment [ link ]

The Story of the 14th Amendment [ link ]

The Story of the 15th Amendment [ link ]