← earlier
+20 pointsIndividual Rights
The Reconstruction Amendments transformed freedom, citizenship, equality, and voting rights under the Constitution.
Historical review · Sources available
1870 review
Reconstruction Amendments
The Reconstruction Amendments changed the Constitution's rules for citizenship, equality, voting rights, and federal enforcement.
Constitutional health56/100
Clock reading8:40 PM
StatusElevated Constitutional Stress
What 8:40 PM means: Constitutional amendments expand citizenship and federal protection, pulling the clock earlier despite violent resistance.
What moved the clock
What changed from the previous review?
Compared with 1865 (Union Restored), the weighted score moved 16 points healthier.
← earlier
+18 pointsRule of Law
Federal power grew to protect constitutional rights from state violations.
← earlier
+25 pointsElections and Transfers of Power
Political participation formally expanded, especially for Black men, though violence still blocked access.
← earlier
+10 pointsPeaceful Politics
Organized white-supremacist violence obstructed the new constitutional settlement.
Eight measures
How the score breaks down
The same weights are used for every period. You can question any measure on its own.
0115% of total
Limits on Government Power
Could the Constitution still place real limits on government power?
65/ 100
↑ 15 since the previous reviewAdds 9.75 points to the total · ↑ 15 since the previous review
Why this score?
Why it was scored this way. Could the Constitution still place real limits on government power?
Confidence. Historical facts: High; numerical score: Moderate. See the full review and sources below.
0212.5% of total
Checks and Balances
Could Congress, the president, and the courts still check one another?
60/ 100
↑ 12 since the previous reviewAdds 7.5 points to the total · ↑ 12 since the previous review
Why this score?
Why it was scored this way. Could Congress, the president, and the courts still check one another?
Confidence. Historical facts: High; numerical score: Moderate. See the full review and sources below.
0315% of total
Elections and Transfers of Power
Political participation formally expanded, especially for Black men, though violence still blocked access.
55/ 100
↑ 25 since the previous reviewAdds 8.25 points to the total · ↑ 25 since the previous review
Why this score?
Why it was scored this way. Political participation formally expanded, especially for Black men, though violence still blocked access.
Confidence. Historical facts: High; numerical score: Moderate. See the full review and sources below.
0415% of total
Rule of Law
Federal power grew to protect constitutional rights from state violations.
58/ 100
↑ 18 since the previous reviewAdds 8.7 points to the total · ↑ 18 since the previous review
Why this score?
Why it was scored this way. Federal power grew to protect constitutional rights from state violations.
Confidence. Historical facts: High; numerical score: Moderate. See the full review and sources below.
0515% of total
Individual Rights
The Reconstruction Amendments transformed freedom, citizenship, equality, and voting rights under the Constitution.
55/ 100
↑ 20 since the previous reviewAdds 8.25 points to the total · ↑ 20 since the previous review
Why this score?
Why it was scored this way. The Reconstruction Amendments transformed freedom, citizenship, equality, and voting rights under the Constitution.
Confidence. Historical facts: High; numerical score: Moderate. See the full review and sources below.
0610% of total
Federal and State Balance
Did federal and state governments keep meaningful authority within their roles?
55/ 100
↑ 10 since the previous reviewAdds 5.5 points to the total · ↑ 10 since the previous review
Why this score?
Why it was scored this way. Did federal and state governments keep meaningful authority within their roles?
Confidence. Historical facts: High; numerical score: Moderate. See the full review and sources below.
077.5% of total
Trust in Institutions
Did enough people accept lawful institutions as a way to settle disputes?
50/ 100
↑ 8 since the previous reviewAdds 3.75 points to the total · ↑ 8 since the previous review
Why this score?
Why it was scored this way. Did enough people accept lawful institutions as a way to settle disputes?
Confidence. Historical facts: High; numerical score: Moderate. See the full review and sources below.
0810% of total
Peaceful Politics
Organized white-supremacist violence obstructed the new constitutional settlement.
45/ 100
↑ 10 since the previous reviewAdds 4.5 points to the total · ↑ 10 since the previous review
Why this score?
Why it was scored this way. Organized white-supremacist violence obstructed the new constitutional settlement.
Confidence. Historical facts: High; numerical score: Moderate. See the full review and sources below.
Different questions
The clock does not predict major change or civil conflict
A different question
Major change to the system
Could the country's basic governing rules change? This is different from armed conflict.
This needs its own scoring guide. The clock score cannot answer it.
A different question
Organized political violence
Could political violence become organized and sustained? The clock is not a prediction of civil war.
This needs its own scoring guide. The clock score cannot answer it.
Why this matters
Why this moment matters
The amendments show that the system can make major lawful changes even in the face of resistance.
Similar moments in history
Evidence review
Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment and federal enforcement · 1868–1871
- Evidence confidence
- High
- Score confidence
- Moderate
The constitutional changes and federal legislation are direct records; effectiveness varied sharply by place and was contested through organized violence.
Findings
- The Fourteenth Amendment constitutionalized birthright citizenship, due process, and equal protection.
- The Fifteenth Amendment prohibited racial discrimination in voting by the United States and the states.
- Congress created federal enforcement tools while white-supremacist violence obstructed political participation.
Evidence pointing the other way
The legal architecture moved sharply toward equal citizenship, but implementation remained dangerous, incomplete, and dependent on federal enforcement.
Check the sources
Sources
These links support the facts used here. Their publishers did not create or approve the score.