This volume investigates the legislative history and original intent behind the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Neil H. Cogan, a legal scholar, compiles an extensive collection of primary source documents to argue that these amendments function as a second Bill of Rights. By examining the debates, drafts, and public discourse surrounding their ratification, the author provides a framework for understanding how these amendments fundamentally altered the relationship between the federal government and individual citizens. The text serves as a comprehensive reference for legal practitioners and historians seeking to ground their analysis in the specific legislative record.

Legal scholars and historians frequently cite this work as a foundational reference for understanding the legislative intent behind the Reconstruction era. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is designed primarily for researchers and legal professionals rather than casual readers.