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Lesson

The End of Slavery and the Reconstruction Amendments

Guiding question

How, over time, has the relationship between federal and state government been altered by the Fourteenth Amendment?

Duration
60 min
Grade
9–12
Published
Nov 5, 2020
Historic illustration of the celebration of the Fifteenth Amendment with a parade, banners, and diverse attendees.
The interests of Northern and Southern states grew increasingly divergent. Eleven states eventually seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. After the Civil War, Congress required that the southern states would approve the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments as a condition of their re-entry into the union. The Thirteenth Amendment banned slavery throughout the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to formerly enslaved people and banned states from passing laws that denied the privileges and immunities of citizens, due process, or equal protection of the law. The Fifteenth Amendment extended the right to vote to black men. The Fourteenth Amendment in particular was a dramatic departure from the Founders’ Constitution, and set the stage for dramatic increases in the size, scope, and power of the national government decades later.

Founding Principles

Natural/Inalienable Rights

Guiding Questions

  • How, over time, has the relationship between federal and state government been altered by the Fourteenth Amendment?
  • How has this influenced the role of the federal government in U.S. citizens’ everyday lives?

Objectives

  • Students will trace constitutional changes during the period following the Civil War.
  • Students will consider the principle of equal justice under the law and analyze efforts to advance equal protection during the era of Reconstruction.

Materials

Educator Resources

Student Handouts

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: Opinion Check-In
ActivityHandout B: The Tenth Amendment and Reconstruction Amendments
ActivityHandout C: Court Cases
ActivityHandout D: Opinion Double-Check
EssayEssay: The End of Slavery and the Reconstruction Amendments

The interests of northern and southern states grew increasingly divergent. Eleven states eventually seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. After the Civil War, Congress required that the southern states would approve the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments as a condition of their re-entry into the union. The 13th Amendment banned slavery throughout the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to formerly enslaved people and banned states from passing laws that denied the privileges and immunities of citizens, due process, or equal protection of the law. The Fifteenth Amendment extended the right to vote to black men. The Fourteenth Amendment in particular was a dramatic departure from the Founders ’Constitution, and set the stage for dramatic increases in the size, scope, and power of the national government decades later.

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Lesson plan

60 minClick a phase to open it

Key Terms

Property
Declaration of Independence
Bill of Rights
Thirteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment

Standards

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