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13th Amendment Ratified
The 13th Amendment, ratified on December 6th, 1865, freed all African Americans and anyone else from slavery, abolishing it across the entire Union. The 13th Amendment made it so that no longer could people be forced into involuntary servitude or work unless as a punishment by law. This meant all freed people could finally move on and start their own lives. -
The 14th Amendment Ratified
Ratified on July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment made it so that anyone born on US soil was an American, including former slaves, and provided all citizens with equal protection under the law. This meant that all African Americans born on American soil were Americans and had the right to own land and other such liberties. -
The 15th Amendment Ratified
Ratified on February 3rd, 1870, the 15th Amendment made it so that all male citizens of the Union could vote regardless of their ethnicity, prior status, or family history. An unintended consequence of the 15th Amendment was that white supremacists had to get creative with discriminatory tactics to stop freedmen from voting, and this created more acts of violence. -
The First Enforcement Act
The First Enforcement Act, passed on May 31st, 1870, made it so that African American men were protected their voting rights and penalized anyone who tried to interfere with their voting. An unintended consequence was the creation of discriminatory acts like grandfather clauses in southern states. -
Second Enforcement Act
Passed on February 28th, 1871, the Second Enforcement Act placed the administration of national elections under the control of the federal government and also empowered federal judges to supervise local polling spots. An unintended consequence of this is that this was seen by many as a massive federal overreach raising tensions in the South. -
The Third Enforcement Act
Passed on April 20, 1871, the Third Enforcement Act, also known as the KKK Act, empowered the president to use armed forces to combat people who conspired to deny others their basic protection under the law, people like the KKK. The unintended consequence of this act is that instead of physically committing violence, these conspirators got more creative and organized to subtly gain political power and financial power to continue their plans. -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Voted, on February 27, 1875, and law on March 1st, 1875, the Civil Rights Act was passed to prohibit racial discrimination in public places and facilities such as restaurants and trains and prohibited discrimination for jury service. The united consequence of this one was separation, with the phrase "separate but equal" coming to mind.