The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. All Confederate states had to ratify the amendment before they could be readmitted to the Union.
2. Repudiation of Secession
Confederate states had to officially renounce their secession from the Union. This meant that they had to declare that they were once again part of the United States.
3. New State Constitutions
Confederate states had to adopt new state constitutions that were in accordance with the United States Constitution. This meant that they had to include provisions for equal rights for all citizens, regardless of race.
4. Approval by Congress
Once a Confederate state had met all of the above requirements, it had to be approved by Congress before it could be readmitted to the Union. This meant that Congress had to pass a law that officially recognized the state as being part of the United States.