The Reconstruction Amendments During the Civil War President Lincoln set in motion a series of government actions that planted the seeds of the major civil rights movement in the twentieth century. In 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclam ation, freeing slaves in areas the Confederacy controlled. In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment abolished (got rid of) slavery throughout the nation.The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868 granted citizenship to all persons born in the United States and promised equal rights. The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870 guaranteed African American men the right to vote. These amendments set the legal basis for full equality. Questions: 1. What did the Thirteenth Amendment (13^th) do? __ 2.What did the Fourteenth Amendment (14^th) do? __ 3.What did the Fifteenth Amendment (15^th) do? __