Final answer:
Southern states had to repeal secession ordinances and ratify the Thirteenth Amendment initially, and later the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, to be readmitted to the Union during Reconstruction.
Step-by-step explanation:
To be considered reconstructed, Southern states were required to hold state conventions where they would repeal the ordinances of secession and ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery.
Later during Radical Reconstruction, to rejoin the Union, they would also need to ratify the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, ensuring citizenship and voting rights regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Moreover, the states needed to draft new constitutions promoting equality, which included measures like universal manhood suffrage, expanded rights for women, and the removal of property qualifications for voting
States such as Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas had additional hurdles like the proscriptive clauses, which were overcome by allowing the clauses to be voted on separately from the rest of the constitution before ratifying the Fifteenth Amendment as a requirement for readmission.