Which set of amendments are commonly referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments?

• A. 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
• B. 12th Amendment
• C. 14th, 15th Amendments
• D. 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments

Answer: (D)

After the Civil War, lawmakers used these amendments to redefine freedom and citizenship in the United States. They ended slavery, established citizenship and equal protection under the law, and protected voting rights regardless of race. Collectively, these measures are known as the Reconstruction Amendments because they were crafted during Reconstruction to secure civil and political rights for the newly freed and redefine who counts as a citizen. The reason this set is the best answer is that it includes all three fundamental protections—ending slavery, guaranteeing citizenship and due process, and safeguarding voting rights—which together define what historians mean by the Reconstruction Amendments. Other options omit one or more of these key components or focus on provisions not central to Reconstruction.