Read the original articles of the United States Constitution along with the first twelve amendments, forming a picture of how the system worked before the Civil War. Then read the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments in their entirety, forming a picture of how the system worked once they were in place. Next, analyze the function of the system before the Reconstruction-era amendments with its function after their ratification, taking detailed notes on the comparisons and contrasts that emerge, using the following questions:
• How did the average American experience the federal government before the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?
• How did the average American experience the federal government after the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?
• How did the authority of the federal government change after the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?
• What impact could the expanded authority of the federal government have had on American politics and government after the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?
• What impact could the expanded authority of the federal government, and the new experience of the federal government by the average American, have had on American culture after the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?
