With the end of the Civil War, the country began the process of reuniting, earning the time period between 1865 and 1877 the name Reconstruction. The 14th Amendment was one of many pieces Reconstruction legislation.
Prior to the Civil War, African Americans were considered property and not citizens. Even if they were born free or earned their freedom, they were not considered US citizens.
The 14th Amendment rectified this issue by stating “all persons born or naturalized in the United States ... are citizens of the United States and of the state in which they reside.” This reversed the ruling of the Dred-Scott case of 1857.
Along with gaining citizenship, African Americans were freed from slavery by the 13th Amendment and African American men gained the right to vote with the 15th Anendment. However, Jim Crow laws in the South managed to disqualify African Americans from voting and took away many of their rights as citizens.
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