The Civil War amendments, also known as the Reconstruction amendments, were ratified through the regular process stipulated by the United States Constitution. Here is how they were ratified:
1. Thirteenth Amendment (1865): This amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was passed by the United States Senate on April 8, 1864, and the House of Representatives on January 31, 1865. It was eventually ratified by the required three-fourths of the states on December 6, 1865, when Georgia became the 27th state to ratify it.
2. Fourteenth Amendment (1868): This amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and guaranteed equal protection under the law. It was proposed by Congress on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868, when it received the necessary approval from the 28th state, Connecticut.
3. Fifteenth Amendment (1870): This amendment prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on their race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It was proposed by Congress on February 26, 1869, and ratified on February 3, 1870, when it gained the approval of the 28th state, Iowa.
The process of ratification required the proposed amendments to be approved by both houses of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives) by a two-thirds majority vote. Once passed by Congress, the proposed amendments were sent to the states to be ratified. For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it needed to be ratified by three-fourths (currently 38 out of 50) of the states.
how were the civil war amendments ratified
1 answer