Which amendments constitute the Reconstruction Amendments?

Which amendments constitute the Reconstruction Amendments?

• A. The 11th, 12th, and 13th Amendments
• B. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Amendments
• C. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
• D. The 16th, 17th, and 18th Amendments

Answer: (C)

Reconstruction Amendments are the trio enacted after the Civil War to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans. The 13th Amendment ends slavery. The 14th Amendment defines citizenship and guarantees equal protection and due process, tying state action to fundamental rights. The 15th Amendment prohibits denying the vote based on race. Together, they created a constitutional framework aimed at transforming Southern society and securing civil and political participation for Black citizens, which is why this set is labeled the Reconstruction Amendments. Other options pull in amendments from different eras—earlier into the Bill of Rights or later changes from the Progressive era—so they don’t fit this Reconstruction grouping.

Reconstruction Amendments are the trio enacted after the Civil War to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans. The 13th Amendment ends slavery. The 14th Amendment defines citizenship and guarantees equal protection and due process, tying state action to fundamental rights. The 15th Amendment prohibits denying the vote based on race. Together, they created a constitutional framework aimed at transforming Southern society and securing civil and political participation for Black citizens, which is why this set is labeled the Reconstruction Amendments. Other options pull in amendments from different eras—earlier into the Bill of Rights or later changes from the Progressive era—so they don’t fit this Reconstruction grouping.