H6A.

I CAN EXPLAIN the roles of the

H
13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
in Reconstruction.
6
A
H
6
B
H
6
C
H
6
D
H
6
E
 PAGE 1
Putting the Country Back Together

SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction

After the Confederates surrendered at Appomattox Court House, the United
States needed to start rebuilding after four years of fighting in the Civil War. Although
the war was over, southerners were still resentful and angry with northerners.
In 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the United States. Over
four million freedmen, men and women who had been slaves, were living in the south
changing the dynamics of the southern society forever. In addition, the south was
devastated from the Union’s total war campaign, destroying the terrain and
infrastructure. President Lincoln was extremely worried about how to rebuild
the south and mend the country. The Union and Confederate armies had devastated
the region. The South’s economy was wrecked. It was time to put the Union
back together and rebuild. This process was called Reconstruction.

Directions: Use the textbox below to answer the following items:

1. Where did the Civil War officially end?
1865
What was the reaction of the Southerners after the Civil War was over?
2.

3. What was the result of the Civil War on the South?

4. What was Lincoln concerned with after the Civil War?
They were
Describe
5. mad at
the condition north
of the South’speople
economy.
6. What was it time for and what was this process called?

They were devastated and broke

He wanted to fix the south’s situation and make the

country united

Wrecked, bad

Putting the union back together

Reconstruction
 PAGE 2
Putting the Country Back Together

SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction

After the Civil War, three amendments were passed and ratified to ensure the rights
of former slaves. These three amendments are sometimes called the Reconstruction
Amendments. The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which continued the
work of the Emancipation Proclamation, officially abolished slavery. The amendment was
passed by Congress in January 1865 and submitted to the states for ratification. It
was ratified in December 1865. President Andrew Johnson made ratification of the amendment
a requirement for the southern states to rejoin the Union.
Although the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, it did not abolish discrimination
(unfair treatment of a person or group because of prejudice). By 1865, most Southern states,
including Georgia, had passed a number of laws known as Black Codes, which were designed to
restrict the rights of the freedmen. Congressional reaction to the Black Codes was fairly
swift. The Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to the freedmen and forbade
any state from denying anyone the “equal protection of the law.” Congress passed the
amendment in June 1866, and it was ratified July 1868.
Finally Congress passed yet another amendment that was ratified during the presidency
of Ulysses S. Grant in 1870. The Fifteenth Amendment guaranteed that no citizen
could be denied the right to vote by either the federal government or a state because
of the color of their skin or because they used to be slave. As a result, black men could
vote in state and national elections (women could not because, back then, women were not
allowed to vote, regardless of their race.)

Directions: Use the textbox below to answer the following items:

1. What was passed after the Civil War AND what else are they referred to as?
Three
Whenreconstruction
2. was the Amendmentamendments
passed/ratified AND what did it officially do?
3. What was the Amendment unable to stop?
How did the South respond to the 13th Amendment AND what did Congress do as a result?
Jan
4.
1865 make the southern ratify
5. Explain the 14th Amendment:
6. Who was the president during the ratification of the last Reconstruction Amendment AND
what did the 15th Amendment accomplish?
Discrimination

Blackcodes

No more black codes

Grant, no race discrimination in gov setting

 PAGE 3
Putting the Country Back Together

SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction

Use the textboxes to

summarize the text
from the 13th
Amendment.

No slavery, unless
it’s for convictions.

Congress can
enforce it in the
states

13
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Putting the Country Back Together

SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction

Use the textboxes to

summarize the text
from the 14th
Amendment.

Everyone born in
the states is from
the states

You cannot take rights

from anyone unless
proper circumstances
 PAGE 5
Putting the Country Back Together

SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction

Use the textboxes to

summarize the text
from the 15th
Amendment.

Anyone can vote

Congress can
enforce however
 PAGE 6
Putting the Country Back Together

SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction

B. Abolition of slavery in the U.S. and its’

terrorities. Passed by Congress January
31st, 1865

C. Citizenship rights and equal

protection under the law. Passed by
Congress June 13, 1866.

A. Right to Vote, not denied by race.

Passed by Congress February 26th, 1869

©Rachel
Wells
 PAGE 7
Putting the Country Back Together
Directions: ReadEnd
SS8H6A: the scenario, CIRCLE
of Civil War, the amendment
Beginning number and
of Reconstruction
EXPLAIN.

1. Bernie 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 Bob stops him and
says, “I paid for you, you are my slave, you must stay!” What amendment is
Billy Bob breaking?

13 14 15

EXPLAIN:
___________________________________________________________

2. An old man named

Slavery Larry wobbles up to the voting booth. Betty, the person
is abolished
that works at the voting place says, “No, you can’t vote here, you are too old!”
What amendment is Betty breaking?

13 14 15

EXPLAIN:
___________________________________________________________

3. It is 1865, and thecan

Anyone Sheriff
vote 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?

13 14 15

EXPLAIN:
___________________________________________________________

4. A man decides that

Right to he needs
a fair trial people to work
no matter at askin
what factory, but he can’t pay
color
them. He decides to force his employees to work without paying them a single
dollar. What amendment is the man breaking?

13 14 15

EXPLAIN:
___________________________________________________________
©Rachel
Wells No more slavery
 PAGE 8
Putting the Country Back Together
Directions: Read the scenario, CIRCLE the amendment number and
SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction
EXPLAIN.
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?
13 14 15
EXPLAIN:
___________________________________________________________
6. Two men come up has
Everyone to the local voting
liberty booth
to their and one is given a ballot to fill
items
out while the other is denied and sent away. Which amendment is being
violated?
13 14 15
EXPLAIN:
___________________________________________________________
7. A few women saw an ad in the newspaper for a factory that needs workers
Anyone can vote
and the only requirement was that they needed to know how to sew. All of the
women needed jobs and knew how to sew so they took a bus to where the
interviews were being held. Once they got there they were taken far, far, far
away and forced to work without pay. What amendment is being broken?
13 14 15
EXPLAIN:
___________________________________________________________
8. A young boy was walking home from school with his hood on and
headphones No unpaid
in, when labor
police asked him where he was going he kept walking
because he couldn’t hear or see them, they suspected that he had just robbed
the store down the street so they handcuffed him and put him in jail. He never
saw a trial. Which amendment did the police break?
13 14 15
EXPLAIN:
___________________________________________________________
©Rachel
Wells Liberty
 PAGE 9
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SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction

©Rachel
Wells
 PAGE
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10
SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction

©Rachel
Wells
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Putting the Country Back Together
11
SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction
THINKING QUESTIONS:
Directions: After examining the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment, you need to
explain the effectiveness of the Reconstruction Amendments. Answer the
following questions in sentences, using the information in the previous pages as
evidence to support your claim.
1. Did the 13th Amendment really end slavery?
(Your response should explain what was the 13th Amendment, what was the response to the amendment,
and did the 13th Amendment really stop slavery and explain why OR why not?)
The 13th amendment made unpaid labor against one’s
will illegal. The south was quite upset.
It did not. There are still places where slavery occurs.
People still try to set up situations where they can
basically get stuff from free work. That is why I say
this is so.

©Rachel
Wells
 PAGE
Putting the Country Back Together
12
SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction
THINKING QUESTIONS:
Directions: After examining the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment, you need to
explain the effectiveness of the Reconstruction Amendments. Answer the
following questions in sentences, using the information in the previous pages as
evidence to support your claim.
2. Did the 14th Amendment really guarantee equal citizenship and protection
under the law?
(Your response should explain what was the 14th Amendment, what was the response to the amendment,
and did the 14th Amendment really give them equal citizenship AND protection under the law and explain
why OR why not?)

The fourteenth amendment made it that every

person, no matter what race, gets fair treatment and
protection. The south tried to softly outlaw it.
No. People in our country are still unfairly treated and
discriminated against by their skin color. Officers stop
random people on the streets for crimes they didn’t
commit because if it. It still happens today.

©Rachel
Wells
 PAGE
Putting the Country Back Together
13
SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction
THINKING QUESTIONS:
Directions: After examining the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment, you need to
explain the effectiveness of the Reconstruction Amendments. Answer the
following questions in sentences, using the information in the previous pages as
evidence to support your claim.
3. Did the 15th Amendment accomplish the goal of giving the right to vote to the
freed Blacks?
(Your response should explain what was the 15th Amendment, what was the response to the Amendment,
in what ways did they attempt to block the 15th Amendment?)

The fifteenth amendment made it that blacks could

vote. People in the south still denied them voting
nonetheless.
Yes. People now are allowed to vote no matter what
race.

©Rachel
Wells
 Putting the Country Back Together PAGE
14
SS8H6A: End of Civil War, Beginning of Reconstruction
Directions: Read the descriptions on the side panel, and
drag and drop it to the correct term it is describing.
2. Amendment
1. Lincoln
D. President at the end of the
Civil War, assassinated before F. An official change/addition
he could oversee the made to the Constitution.
Reconstruction of the Union.

3. Ratify 4. 13th Amendment

C. Ended slavery in the United
B. To give formal consent or States.
approval to something.

5. 14th Amendment 6. 15th Amendment

A. Granted citizenship and E. Granted the right to vote

equal protection under the law regardless of race or if they
to all citizens. (Including the were previously a slave.
freed slaves)

7. ______ The process of rebuilding the South after the Civil War
was known as
A. New South
B. Reconstruction
C. Atlanta Compromise
D. Georgia Platform
8. ______What amendment was passed by Congress in January
1865?
A. 10th Amendment
B. 15th Amendment

C. 14th Amendment

D. 13th Amendment

9. ______ Who was the President when the 15th Amendment was
passed?
E. Lincoln
F. Johnson
G. Grant

H. Washington

©Rachel
Wells