Final answer:
The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments greatly impacted African Americans by legally ending slavery, granting them citizenship and equal protection under the law, and enfranchising African American men. During Reconstruction, they were integral to reintegrating the South into the Union and preventing the southern states from stripping civil and political rights from African Americans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments greatly impacted African Americans by changing their legal status and rights within the United States. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, officially freeing African Americans from bondage. The 14th Amendment conferred citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US, including former slaves, and guaranteed them equal protection under the law. The 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote, playing a crucial role in their political empowerment.
In terms of Reconstruction, these amendments formed part of the constitutional foundation that attempted to reintegrate the Southern States back into the Union post Civil War. The 14th and 15th Amendments, specifically, were designed to prevent the South from stripping civil and political rights from African Americans. As a result, African Americans were able to vote and hold public office, representing a major shift in their social and political status during the Reconstruction Era.
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