15th Amendment

The success of Congressional Reconstruction was short-lived. By the early 1900s,
Southern states had found new ways to rob African Americans of basic rights. It was
not until the 1960s that African Americans in the South would get to exercise their
full rights as U.S. citizens.

Why was the success of Congressional Reconstruction short lived?

Explain why it took nearly 100 years for African Americans to be able to exercise the rights they gained?

13th Amendment

Abraham Lincoln was opposed to slavery. He believed it to be morally wrong. He pointed to the
Declaration of Independence as proof that America was a nation where all men should be equal. But
Lincoln’s main goal in the Civil War was not to end slavery. He wanted to bring America back
together. He believed that someday slavery would fade away on its own.
By 1862, Lincoln had changed his mind. He was ready to free the slaves. On September 22, 1862,
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It promised that on January 1, 1863, all slaves in the
Confederacy would be freed.

1.    What choice would you have made in Lincoln's place? Explain you decision.

2.    What is your opinion of the 13^th Amendment? Explain you answer.