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.
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The Senate considers H. Res. 127 in Committee of the Whole
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 —.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 2. After the census to be taken in the year 1870, and each succeeding census, 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 of m, excluding Indians not taxed. But whenever in any State the elective franchise shall be denied to any portion of its malectors over citizens not less than twenty-one years of age qualified by the laws thereof to choose mem, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion ors of the most numerous branchr crime, the basis of its Legislature; and direct taxrepresentation in such State shall be apportioned amongreduced in the several States according toproportion which the valuenumber of the real and personal taxablsee property situated in each State,male citizens shall bear to the whole number of such male citizens not belonging to the State or to the Unitedsless than twenty-one years of age.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce by appropriate legislation the provisions of this article.