NJ Ratification votes on the Reconstruction Amendments

To compare the votes on all of the NJ bills addressing Amendments 13, 14 and 15, in a high-level summary table, I have decided to use a common terminology, across all of the bills, indicating whether the majority of the regions' congresspersons were voting FOR or AGAINST ratifying the Amendments. The actual bills being voted upon were sometimes worded in the negative, (e.g., to reject ratification), in which case a "No" vote was actually a vote IN FAVOR OF RATIFYING the amendment. Note that 73% of the Assembly, and 62% of the Senate, were from the more-populous northern counties, and the final votes often were decided in favor of the North Jersey position.

Click on the Amendment links below to see the full voting details.

 NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE VOTING
on Reconstruction Amendments		  NORTHERN
 COUNTIES		  SOUTHERN
 COUNTIES
 Amendment 13: To abolish slavery.  
16 MAR 1865: Senate rejects ratification 8-12 92% AGAINST 88% FOR
17 JAN 1866: Assembly ratifies 42-10 59% FOR100% FOR
23 JAN 1866: Senate ratifies 13-8 61% AGAINST100% FOR
   
 Amendment 14: To guarantee citizenship rights regardless of race.  
11 SEP 1866: Assembly ratifies 34-24 50% AGAINST 88% FOR
11 SEP 1866: Senate ratifies 11-10 77% AGAINST100% FOR
19 FEB 1868: Senate withdraws ratification 11-8 69% AGAINST 63% FOR
20 FEB 1868: Assembly withdraws ratification 45-11 77% AGAINST 69% AGAINST
 5 MAR 1868: Senate overrides Gov veto 11-9 69% AGAINST 63% FOR
24 MAR 1868: Assembly re-approves withdrawal 45-13 77% AGAINST 69% AGAINST
   
 Amendment 15: To guarantee voting rights regardless of race.  
 1 FEB 1870: Assembly rejects ratification 33-27 64% AGAINST 69% FOR
 7 FEB 1870: Senate rejects ratification 13-8 69% AGAINST 75% FOR
 8 FEB 1871: Assembly ratifies 34-24 52% FOR 69% FOR
15 FEB 1871: Senate ratifies 12-7 54% AGAINST100% FOR


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Last updated: 2006 First Month, 1st.