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. All persons born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. 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. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union according to their respective numbers, countin each Statg the whof male citizensnumber of the Unitedpersons in each State, excluding Indians over twenty-one years of age qualified bynot taxed. But whenever in any State the laws of such Statelective franchise shall be denied to choose membersany portion of the most numerous branchits male inhabitants, being citizens of its Legislthe United Statures, and including such citizens as are disqualified bynot less than twenty-one years of age, or in any way abridged, except for participationg in rebellion. Direct taxes shall be appor or other crime, the basis of representationed among the several in such States accord shall be reduced ing the proportion which the valuenumber of the real and personal taxable property situate in each Statemale citizens shall bear to the whole number of such male citizens not belonging to the State or to the Unitedless than twenty-one years of age in such States.
SEC. 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State Legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two thirds of each House, remove such disability.
SEC. 4. The obligations of the United States incurred in suppressing insurrection, or in defense of the Union, or for payment of bounties or pensions incident thereto, shall remain inviolate.
SEC. 5. Neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection [or] rebellion against the United States, or any claim on account of the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations, and claims shall be forever held illegal and void.
SEC. 6. The Congress shall have power to enforce by appropriate legislation the provisions of this article.