Final answer:
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution are commonly known as the Freedom Amendments, aimed at abolishing slavery, establishing citizenship and equal protection under the law, and prohibiting racial discrimination in voting rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
Freedom Amendments: The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
The Amendments commonly known as the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are often referred to as the Freedom Amendments. These Amendments were significant in shaping America's social and legal landscape after the Civil War by extending civil rights and liberties to formerly enslaved individuals. To delineate:
- The 13th Amendment was instrumental in abolishing slavery within the United States.
- The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, which included former slaves, and it established the principle of equal protection under the law.
- The 15th Amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude, thus expanding the electorate and shaping the course of American democracy.
These Amendments are rooted in the struggles for abolition and voting rights, and they formed the foundation for subsequent civil rights advancements and set the stage for future expansions of voting eligibility, such as the 19th and 26th Amendments.