This resource provides information about Reconstruction, the United States Government, slavery, and civil rights.

This video segment from The Supreme Court introduces viewers to the 14th amendment.

Primary source document, informational text and questions for discussion included for students studying issues surrounding the abolition of slavery and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Fifteenth Amendment.

A very clear document outlining the various reconstruction plans, the problems for both whites and blacks during Reconstruction, and the amendments added concerning the abolition of slavery, civil rights, and suffrage. Requires Adobe...

A great chart comparing Lincoln's and Johnson's reconstruction plans with the plans offered by the Radical Republicans.

The complete text of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

After the Civil War, the 14th amendment granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States. This included former slaves. Learn about the protections this amendment offers to citizens, including those who were once...

A very good overview of Reconstruction in the South after the Civil War. Find the questions that needed to be answered about how to reincorporate the Confederate states, what rights freed blacks would have, and how terms of...

Before his assassination, Abraham Lincoln was already making plans for Reconstruction in the South. Read about his plan and the plan of the Radical Republicans. See the reasoning behind each plan.

A short timeline on the main events of the period of Reconstruction from 1865 to 1897. A few of the events are clickable and can be followed for additional information.

This source provides the Thirteenth Amendment as it is worded in the U.S. Constitution. At the bottom of the page are annotations with links to information about the abolition of slavery, origin and purpose of the amendment, peonage, and...

Read about the background of the passage of the 14th Amendment which resulted in the famous case before the Supreme Court, Plessy v Ferguson, almost thirty years later. Suggested student exercises ask students to assess the issue of...

In this video segment from The Supreme Court, learn about the 1883 Supreme Court decision that marked the end of federal protections for individuals in states and the beginning of Jim Crow segregation.

Links to essays that debates the validity of the original 13th Amendment.

Outline of the history and processes required for changing or amending the Constitution.

Read about the frustration the Radical Republicans in Congress had with the Reconstruction plans of Andrew Johnson. Find out what legislation they were able to pass over Johnson's veto, and how they attempted to protect emancipated...

A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" that guides students through an examination of the outcomes of the Civil War. Includes discussion prompts related to the effectiveness of...

Provides a good basic introduction to the Constitution. Explains the founding principles, checks and balances, the rationale for it, the accomplishments of the Constitutional Convention, the debate and ratification, the structure of the...

Contains a great picture and description of the Fifteenth Amendment parade that was held in Baltimore, to emphasize its importance. Provides links to other civil rights articles.

Using primary documents, oral histories and other historical resources, learn about the African American reaction to emancipation and to events from the Reconstruction period following the Civil War.

No love was lost between the Congress' trying to pass Reconstruction plans and President Andrew Johnson's attempts to thwart those plans. Read a short biography of Andrew Johnson to get an idea of the man. Follow the timeline of...

[Free Registration/Login Required] "A variety of materials demonstrates the rise and fall of civil rights for African Americans during the latter half of the nineteenth century, including constitutional amendments, sharecropper...

The abolition movement sought to end the practice of slavery in the United States.