The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, known collectively as the Civil War Amendments, were designed to ensure equality for recently emancipated slaves. The 13th Amendment banned slavery and all involuntary servitude, except in the case of punishment for a crime
The 14th Amendment guaranteed African Americans citizenship rights and promised that the federal government would enforce “equal protection of the laws.”
The 15th Amendment stated that no one could be denied the right to vote based on “race, color or previous condition of servitude.”