In the aftermath of the civil war with the union the victors political change was inevitable. The north had just won a war fought over the issue of slavery and to not address the issue permanently after their victory would be a failure on their part. Despite heated tensions and many in the south opposed to any final resolution on the subject of slavery that did rule in their favor Abraham Lincoln and his allies were able to garner enough support in congress to pass the 13th,14th, and 15th amendments. These 3 amendments clarified finally the rights established in the constitution applied to African Americans just as much as those of European descent.
The 13th amendment was the gut punch to the southern way of life. Slavery or involuntary servitude could no longer legally exist in the borders of any land under the jurisdiction of the government of the United States. The only exception to this as stated is unless the labor is a form of punishment for a crime and the laborer has been convicted. There were those in the south who would not immediately follow this amendment. Slavery was a key part to the southern economy and a new form
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13th gives freedom, the 14th recognition, and the 15th is the one that in my opinion gave responsibility. The 15th amendment gave the right to vote to African American men. I say this one gave responsibility but it's more like entrusted responsibility. For the longest time just 5 years prior the African American race was just seen as property, a cheap way of labor. Now they were given the right to vote following the passage of the 15th amendment. Sure there would be ways of limiting this right especially in the south with laws like the Jim crow laws, but without this amendment none of them would be able to vote at all. This amendment would later be one of the basis for overturning discrimination laws in