Who passed the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?

13th and 14th amendment: what they are and why they matter

The 13th and 14th amendment are two of the Reconstruction Amendments that changed the Constitution after the Civil War. The 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery, and the 14th Amendment established birthright citizenship and principles of equal protection. For an authoritative description of the 13th Amendment, see the National Archives milestone page for the 13th Amendment National Archives milestone page for the 13th Amendment.

Both amendments became effective only after a three fourths state ratification requirement was met and the certification process recorded that result. The operational meaning of the 14th Amendment as adopted in Reconstruction is explained in the Constitution Annotated entry for the amendment Constitution Annotated entry for Amendment XIV.

These two amendments matter because they altered the legal framework for citizenship, personal liberty, and the relationship between the federal government and the states. The process that moved them from proposal to law involved actions by the United States Congress and separate actions by state legislatures or conventions, followed by certification in official records.

How constitutional amendments were passed during Reconstruction

During the Reconstruction era the path for an amendment to become part of the Constitution began in Congress. Members of the United States Congress proposed and voted on amendment language; after approval by both chambers the proposal was sent to the states for ratification. This basic sequence is the foundation of the modern ratification process and is the same legal framework used for the Reconstruction Amendments.

The ratification process required that three fourths of the states approve the proposed amendment, typically through state legislatures or specially convened state ratifying conventions. State-level votes were recorded in legislative journals or convention proceedings and then compiled into the national ratification count. This ratification procedure underlies the Reconstruction Amendments ratification timeline and explains why congressional approval alone did not make an amendment part of the Constitution.

After the required number of state ratifications was reached, an official certification recorded the result. For the Reconstruction Amendments the documentary certifications are maintained by the National Archives and the Department of State, which preserve the formal evidence that an amendment completed the ratification process National Archives milestone page for the 14th Amendment.

Understanding the separate roles of Congress, state legislatures, and certification authorities helps readers ask the right questions when they check historical claims. When someone asks who passed an amendment, the legally accurate answer must note both the congressional approval and the later state ratifications that together authorized the constitutional change.

Who passed the 13th Amendment: Congress, state ratifications, and certification

Congress approved the 13th Amendment and sent it to the states for ratification; after state approvals reached the required threshold the amendment was certified as ratified on December 6, 1865. The National Archives records the certification and provides the primary document that shows the date and the formal abolition of slavery National Archives milestone page for the 13th Amendment.

The congressional record and vote details for the 13th Amendment, including the sequence of approvals in the House and Senate, are summarized in the Constitution Annotated entry for Amendment XIII Constitution Annotated entry for Amendment XIII and related congressional records such as the House search of historical records House records search.

State legislatures and conventions acted individually to approve the amendment. The national certification followed when enough states had submitted ratifying documents; that formal recording is what made the abolition provision part of the Constitution. To verify a specific state’s ratification entry, consult state legislative journals and the ratification notices preserved in federal archival records.

Who passed the 14th Amendment: congressional authors, ratification, and certification

The 14th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1866 and achieved the necessary state ratifications with certification recorded on July 9, 1868. The National Archives maintains the milestone documentation associated with the amendment and its certification National Archives milestone page for the 14th Amendment.

Historical summaries and drafting attributions identify congressional figures involved in the amendment’s creation, including Senator Jacob M. Howard and Representative John Bingham as associated with drafting and sponsorship work, as recorded in the Constitution Annotated entry for the amendment Constitution Annotated entry for Amendment XIV.

Congressional action in this case meant that both chambers debated and approved a proposed amendment text before the measure went to the states. State ratifications followed in separate votes, and the certification on July 9, 1868 formally recorded that the amendment had joined the Constitution. Researchers who want detailed vote records and the drafting history should consult congressional journals and the Constitution Annotated for recorded debates and citations.

Who passed the 15th Amendment and its ratification timeline

The 15th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1869 and was certified as ratified on February 3, 1870 after states submitted the required approvals. The National Archives provides the ratification certification and a milestone summary for the 15th Amendment that records the completion date National Archives milestone page for the 15th Amendment. The Library of Congress also maintains curated external resources for the 15th Amendment Library of Congress guide to 15th Amendment resources.

The amendment’s text prohibits denying the right to vote on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The formal record of ratification shows how state approvals accumulated until the three fourths threshold was met and the certification recorded the final step that made the provision part of the Constitution.

To confirm the sequence of state ratifications for the 15th Amendment, researchers should review the state ratification entries and the federal certification notice; those documents together show the timing of each state’s action and the date when the amendment was certified as part of the national record.

Common misunderstandings about ‘who passed’ the Reconstruction Amendments

A frequent confusion is to equate a prominent sponsor or drafter in Congress with sole authorship or with having ‘passed’ an amendment by themselves. Sponsors and authors worked within committees and floor debates; the legal steps that made an amendment part of the Constitution required both congressional approval and the separate, independent ratifications by state authorities. The distinction between sponsoring text and completing adoption matters for accurate historical description.

Another common error is to treat certification as congressional action. Certification is the formal recording by national authorities after the states have acted; it does not replace the separate votes that state legislatures or conventions cast. The documentary certification preserved by the National Archives is the final traceable record that the constitutional change was completed.

State-level disputes and later claims of rescission can add complexity. Some Southern states had ratification sequences affected by Reconstruction readmission conditions and provisional governments, so researchers should consult state ratification records and the Constitution Annotated notes to understand contested entries or later legislative changes Constitution Annotated entry for Amendment XIV.

State ratification quirks and contested cases during Reconstruction

During Reconstruction several Southern states experienced disrupted legislative sequences and provisional governments that affected how they recorded ratification votes. Readmission terms and federal oversight sometimes shaped when and how a state’s ratification was accepted into the national tally. Those procedural differences created a state-by-state complexity in the Reconstruction Amendments ratification timeline.

Because these cases are fact specific, consult state archives and National Archives research pages on laws and courts and the National Archives summaries for precise timelines. The Constitution Annotated also records notes on individual state actions and contested ratification entries that can help clarify disputes.

Researchers checking a single state should look for the legislative journal entry or convention record, and then compare that document to the federal certification notice in NARA to confirm inclusion in the national count. Where a state’s action was provisional or later contested, the primary records and Constitution Annotated notes usually explain the resolution.

How to check primary records: timeline summary and source links

The 14th Amendment completed ratification and was certified on July 9, 1868; the National Archives milestone page for the 14th Amendment contains the certification record and background material National Archives milestone page for the 14th Amendment.

The 15th Amendment finished ratification with certification on February 3, 1870; the National Archives milestone page for the 15th Amendment provides the ratification certification and primary documents to review National Archives milestone page for the 15th Amendment.

To verify sponsors, congressional votes, and drafting history consult the Constitution Annotated entries for Amendments XIII through XV for summaries and references to debates and committee reports. For congressional journals and recorded debates see collections like the House historical records search and the Library of Congress guides.