The overwhelming Republican majority in Congress following the Civil War led to the passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Constitutional amendments.
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13th Amendment: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
14th Amendment: "</span><span>All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
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15th Amendment: "</span><span>The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
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Other plans during the period of Reconstruction were protective tariffs, a pro-business national banking system, and federal funding toward the construction of railroads.
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