The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments

A look at the Reconstruction Amendments!

ObjectiveBy the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain the main idea of “due process”

ReconstructionGiven what happened during the Civil War, what do you think the South looked like after the Civil War?Why?

ReconstructionAfter the Civil War the South suffered. Many cities, farms, and businesses were destroyed by the war!

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

AmendmentsThe 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.

QUICK....What is an AMENDMENT!?

AmendmentA change to the Constitution!

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

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

14th AmendmentThe 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.

Due ProcessWhat 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.

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!

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

13th, 14th, 15th Amendments13th 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.

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.

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

ANSWER!13th!!!Billy Bob can not tell anyone to be a slave! Slavery became unconstitutional with the 13th Amendment!!

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

ANSWER

15th Amendment!According to the 15th Amendment, all men have the right to vote no matter of age or race!

#3It 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 TWO Amendments is the Sheriff breaking?

ANSWERThe 6th and the 14th Amendments!The 6th Amendment says you must have a trial if you are accused of a crime. The 14th Amendment says you must have due process (which includes a trial) before they can take anything away such as your liberty (freedom).

#4A 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?

ANSWER

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

#5John 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?

ANSWERThe 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.

Conclusion13th Amendment - Ended Slavery14th Amendment - Due Process

Due Process - the government must respect all of your legal rights not just some.

15th Amendment - All men can vote

Amendment Flipbook!DIRECTIONS: You should have four note cards. The first note card is your cover. On the second note card, you will write 13th Amendment on one side, and write what it is and draw a picture to go along with it on the other side. Do the same with the other notecards for the 14th and 15th Amendments!

EXIT TICKETWhat is the 13th Amendment?What is the 14th Amendment?What is the 15th Amendment?Why were these Amendments important for the future of America?