Episode 39 – The Reconstruction Amendments - 13th, 14th, 15th

Welcome to Our Republic.

The Civil War ended with over 600,000 dead and the Union preserved — but saving the Union wasn’t enough. Sure, Lee surrendered and the Union survived, but victory on the battlefield didn’t settle the biggest question of all: what was America going to do with four million people who had just been freed from slavery?

Were they citizens? Could they vote? Could states just slap new chains on them and call it “law”? The Founders had dodged slavery in 1787, kicking the can down the road. But by 1865, the can had exploded. If America was going to stay true to “all men are created equal,” the Constitution itself had to change.

That’s where the Reconstruction Amendments came in. The 13th ended slavery, the 14th rewrote citizenship and equality, and the 15th gave Black men the right to vote. Three amendments, born out of war, that redefined the republic from the ground up.

MORE INFORMATION:
From 1 Sept 2025 - 1 July 2026 we are releasing 250 episodes to honor our nations 250th celebration. We will cover history, our founding documents and our founding fathers and so much more.

We look forward to serving our great and wonderful nation and you, it's citizens.

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