Source A: Excerpt from the Reconstruction Amendments

The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, declaring that 'neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.' The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, promising equal protection under the law. The 15th Amendment aimed to secure voting rights regardless of race, stating that 'the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied... on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.'

Historian View:

These amendments were crucial in transforming the legal landscape of the United States after the Civil War, aiming to establish equality and civil rights for formerly enslaved people and African Americans.

Source B: Historical Analysis

Despite the legal protections provided by the amendments, many Southern states implemented laws such as Black Codes and later Jim Crow laws to restrict the rights of African Americans. These laws undermined the amendments' goals and led to ongoing racial discrimination.

Historian View:

The Reconstruction amendments laid the legal groundwork for civil rights, but their enforcement faced significant opposition, leading to a long struggle for racial equality in America.