- Event type: CREATE
United States Fourteenth Amendment & The Civil Rights Act of 1866
An amendment to the Constitution of the United States that granted citizenship and equal rights, both civil and legal, to Black Americans, including those who had been emancipated by the thirteenth amendment.
Joint Committee of Fifteen on Reconstruction
A special joint committee made up of nine members from the House of Representatives six members of the Senate. This committee was formed to inquire into the condition of the states in rebellion.
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
Session 5632: 1866-04-28 10:30:00
The Joint Committee meets; S. Res. 76 is received; the Constitutional Amendment is reconsidered and amended; the portion relating to certain persons to be excluded from office be considered as a separate bill to declare certain persons ineligible to office; the Joint Resolution and the two bills (the result of the original Plan of Reconstruction) are reported to the Senate and House as S. Res. 78/H. Res. 127, S. 292/H. R. 543, and S. 293/H. R. 544; leave is granted to submit a minority report; the injunction of secrecy is partially removed.
Document View:
S. Res. 78
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, (two-thirds of both houses concurring,) That the following article be proposed to the legislatures of the several States as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said legislatures, shall be valid as part of the Constitution, namely:
ARTICLE —.
SECTION 1. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
SECTION 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States, which may be included within this Union, according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But whenever in any State the elective franchise shall be denied to any portion of its male citizens not less than twenty-one years of age, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion or other crime, the basis of representation in such State shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens not less than twenty-one years of age.
SECTION 3. Until the fourth day of July, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy, all persons who voluntarily adhered to the late insurrection, giving it aid and comfort, shall be excluded from the right to vote for representatives in Congress and for electors for President and Vice President of the United States.
SECTION 4. Neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation already incurred, or which may hereafter be incurred, in aid of insurrection or of war against the United States, or any claim for compensation for loss of involuntary service or labor.
SECTION 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Decisions yet to be taken
Document Timeline
- S. Res. 78 (introduced on 1866-04-28 10:30:00 - CREATE - e896838) [This document]
[view current proposal at this moment]
- None (introduced on 1866-04-28 10:30:00 - REPORT_PROPOSAL - e434458) [view current proposal at this moment]