U.S. Senate: Landmark Legislation: The Fourteenth Amendment (2024)

Passed by the Senate on June 8, 1866, and ratified two years later, on July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States," including formerly enslaved people, and provided all citizens with “equal protection under the laws,” extending the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states. The amendment authorized the government to punish states that abridged citizens’ right to vote by proportionally reducing their representation in Congress. It banned those who “engaged in insurrection” against the United States from holding any civil, military, or elected office without the approval of two-thirds of the House and Senate. The amendment prohibited former Confederate states from repaying war debts and compensating former slave owners for the emancipation of their enslaved people. Finally, it granted Congress the power to enforce this amendment, a provision that led to the passage of other landmark legislation in the 20th century, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Congress required former Confederate states to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment as a condition of regaining federal representation.

U.S. Senate: Landmark Legislation: The Fourteenth Amendment (2024)

FAQs

U.S. Senate: Landmark Legislation: The Fourteenth Amendment? ›

Passed by the Senate on June 8, 1866, and ratified two years later, on July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States," including formerly enslaved people, and provided all citizens with “equal protection under the laws,” extending the provisions of ...

What landmark cases did the 14th Amendment have an impact on? ›

The most commonly used -- and frequently litigated -- phrase in the amendment is "equal protection of the laws", which figures prominently in a wide variety of landmark cases, including Brown v. Board of Education (racial discrimination), Roe v. Wade (reproductive rights), Bush v. Gore (election recounts), Reed v. Reed ...

What famous landmark Supreme Court cases have their legal landscape sculpted in the 14th Amendment? ›

10 Supreme Court cases about the 14th Amendment
  • Plessy v. Ferguson (18 May 1896) ―The Louisiana legislature had passed a law requiring black and white residents to ride separate, but equal, train cars. ...
  • Lochner v. ...
  • Gitlow v. ...
  • Brown v. ...
  • Mapp v. ...
  • Gideon v. ...
  • Griswold v. ...
  • Loving v.
Jul 9, 2020

How did the Senate vote on the 14th Amendment? ›

June 8, 1866 - The Senate passed the 14th Amendment by a vote of 33 to 11. June 13, 1866 - The House of Representatives passed the 14th Amendment by a vote of 120 to 32.

What are the 4 main points of the 14th Amendment? ›

14th Amendment - Citizenship Rights, Equal Protection, Apportionment, Civil War Debt.

What historical events led to the 14th Amendment? ›

The major events leading to the 14th Amendment were the Civil War, Reconstruction period after the Civil War, and the changing status of African Americans after the end of slavery.

What are some historical applications of the 14th Amendment? ›

A major provision of the 14th Amendment was to grant citizenship to “All persons born or naturalized in the United States,” thereby granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people.

Which landmark U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment also applied to juvenile Court cases? ›

The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment applies to juvenile defendants as well as adult defendants.

What landmark Supreme Court case did the 14th Amendment void in 1954? ›

May 17, 1954: Supreme Court Rulings

The Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, and declared that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Which landmark Supreme Court case has had the greatest impact on American society? ›

Brown v. Board of Education is perhaps one of the most famous cases to have gone through the US Supreme Court. The landmark 1954 case saw justices rule unanimously that the racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional.

What are the 3 main clauses of the 14th Amendment? ›

The amendment's first section includes several clauses: the Citizenship Clause, Privileges or Immunities Clause, Due Process Clause, and Equal Protection Clause.

Why did Congress want the 14th Amendment? ›

Some southern states began actively passing laws that restricted the rights of former slaves after the Civil War, and Congress responded with the 14th Amendment, designed to place limits on states' power as well as protect civil rights.

What powers did Congress 14th Amendment have? ›

Without question, Section Five of the Fourteenth Amendment changed the structure of our federal system. By its terms, this provision plainly vests Congress with the authority necessary to prevent state governments from invading the fundamental rights of the American populace.

What are the two most important clauses of the 14th Amendment? ›

The Due Process Clause declared that states may not deny any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law." The Equal Protection Clause said that a state may not deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

What 3 rights did the 14th Amendment protect? ›

Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution -- Rights Guaranteed: Privileges and Immunities of Citizenship, Due Process, and Equal Protection.

What is the most important 14th Amendment? ›

The principle that everyone born in this country is a United States citizen is one of the sacred building blocks of our democracy. Enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, it reflects America's fundamental commitment to fairness.

Why was the 14th Amendment a major milestone? ›

Passed by the Senate on June 8, 1866, and ratified two years later, on July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States," including formerly enslaved people, and provided all citizens with “equal protection under the laws,” extending the provisions of ...

Why is the 14th Amendment controversial today? ›

This is because, for the first time, the proposed Amendment added the word "male" into the US Constitution. Section 2, which dealt explicitly with voting rights, used the term "male." And women's rights advocates, especially those who were promoting woman suffrage or the granting of the vote to women, were outraged.

What was the main significance of the 14th Amendment in U.S. political history quizlet? ›

The 14th Amendment requires states to give all citizens due process rights and guarantees equal protection of the law. Its purpose was first to allow former slaves immediate US citizenship, but its language also allowed it to be used to allow rights for ALL people in ALL states.

Has the 14th Amendment been used? ›

Congress last used Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1919 to refuse to seat a socialist Congressman accused of having given aid and comfort to Germany during the First World War, irrespective of the Amnesty Act.

Did the 14th Amendment have a significant impact on American life? ›

It established birthright citizenship, required 'due process' and 'equal protection' of the law for everyone, and put the federal government in the business of policing liberty. It removed race and ethnicity from the legal definition of American identity

How did the 14th Amendment play a role during the Reconstruction Era? ›

The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was the centerpiece of the Reconstruction Amendments, which together abolished slavery, gave African-American men the right to vote, and guaranteed full citizenship, due process, and equal protection of the laws to all.

Which landmark Supreme Court case involving the 14th Amendment ruled that individuals who are involved in Court cases have the right to an attorney? ›

Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963) In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court established that the Fourteenth Amendment creates a right for criminal defendants who cannot pay for their own lawyers to have the state appoint attorneys on their behalf.

What Supreme Court decision did the 14th Amendment repudiate? ›

Section One: 14th Amendment

This clearly repudiated the Supreme Court's notorious 1857 Dred Scott decision, in which Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote that a Black man, even if born free, could not claim rights of citizenship under the federal constitution.

Which landmark Supreme Court decision dealt with the rights of the accused? ›

In a 5-4 Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona (1966) ruled that an arrested individual is entitled to rights against self-incrimination and to an attorney under the 5th and 6th Amendments of the United States Constitution. Miranda v.

How was the 14th Amendment used to justify the landmark Supreme Court decision Brown vs Board of Education? ›

State-sanctioned segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th amendment and was therefore unconstitutional. This historic decision marked the end of the "separate but equal" precedent set by the Supreme Court nearly 60 years earlier in Plessy v.

Which early landmark case granted the Supreme Court its most significant power? ›

Marbury v. Madison, arguably the most important case in Supreme Court history, was the first U.S. Supreme Court case to apply the principle of "judicial review" -- the power of federal courts to void acts of Congress in conflict with the Constitution.

What is the most important landmark Supreme Court decision and why? ›

Importance: The Brown decision is heralded as a landmark decision in Supreme Court history, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) which had created the "separate but equal" doctrine.

What are three historic landmark cases decided by the Supreme Court? ›

Supreme Court Landmarks
  • Bethel School District #43 v. Fraser (1987) ...
  • Board of Education of Independent School District #92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls (2002) ...
  • Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ...
  • Cooper v. Aaron (1958) ...
  • Engel v. Vitale (1962) ...
  • Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) ...
  • Goss v. Lopez (1975) ...
  • Grutter v. Bollinger (2003)

What are the two reasons the South ratified the 14th Amendment? ›

a. To overturn Dred Scott and guarantee citizenship rights and equality for African Americans. b. To provide a remedy for the “Black Codes” which the South was using to keep ex- slaves from having any civil rights which meant they were being treated much like before when they were slaves.

Which clause of the 14th Amendment was argued? ›

California v. Trombetta. A case in which the Court held that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does not require law enforcement agencies to preserve breath samples of suspected drunk drivers so that results of breath analysis tests may be used at trial.

Why was section 3 of the 14th Amendment necessary? ›

Ratified in the aftermath of the Civil War, Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment explicitly disqualifies any person from public office who, having previously taken an oath as a federal or state office holder, engaged in insurrection or rebellion.

Who did not support the 14th Amendment? ›

President Andrew Johnson was notified that the amendment was being sent to the states for ratification, and he publicly expressed his disapproval. Congressional approval -- and presidential opposition -- led to a two-year battle between President Johnson and the Republican Party over the 14th Amendment's ratification.

What does the 14th Amendment say about insurrection? ›

What does the Constitution say about insurrection? Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits anyone who has previously taken an oath of office (Senators, Representatives, and other public officials) from holding public office if they have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the United States.

Which president passed the 14th Amendment? ›

President Andrew Johnson signed this warrant on July 11, 1868, to place the Seal of the United States on a presidential proclamation announcing Florida and North Carolina's ratification of the 14th Amendment.

Does the 14th Amendment limit state power? ›

The 14th Amendment granted U.S. citizenship to former slaves and contained three new limits on state power: a state shall not violate a citizen's privileges or immunities; shall not deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; and must guarantee all persons equal protection of the laws.

How does the 14th Amendment apply to a woman's right to privacy? ›

Wade (1973), the Supreme Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause “protects against state action the right to privacy, including a woman's qualified right to terminate her pregnancy,” and that “though the State cannot override that right, it has legitimate interests in protecting both the pregnant ...

What is the 14th Amendment Section 2 for dummies? ›

Amendment XIV, Section 2 eliminated the three-fifths rule, specifically stating that representation to the House is to be divided among the states according to their respective numbers, counting all persons in each state (except Native Americans who were not taxed).

Does the 14th Amendment only apply to citizens? ›

The Fourteenth Amendment, however, guaranteed that everyone born or naturalized in the United States and under its jurisdiction would be a United States citizen.

Why did the 14th Amendment have the greatest impact? ›

The 14th Amendment established citizenship rights for the first time and equal protection to former slaves, laying the foundation for how we understand these ideals today. It is the most relevant amendment to Americans' lives today.

What case challenged the 14th Amendment? ›

California v. Trombetta. A case in which the Court held that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does not require law enforcement agencies to preserve breath samples of suspected drunk drivers so that results of breath analysis tests may be used at trial.

How did the 14th Amendment impact the Reconstruction Era? ›

The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was the centerpiece of the Reconstruction Amendments, which together abolished slavery, gave African-American men the right to vote, and guaranteed full citizenship, due process, and equal protection of the laws to all.

What are the three significant aspects of the 14th Amendment? ›

This so-called Reconstruction Amendment prohibited the states from depriving any person of “life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” and from denying anyone within a state's jurisdiction equal protection under the law.

What impact did the 14th Amendment have on state governments quizlet? ›

The Fourteenth Amendment forced state governments to abide by almost every provision in the Bill of Rights, but the process took over 100 years. the only way to overturn the Supreme Court's ruling that flag burning is protected speech is through a constitutional amendment.

Does the 14th Amendment give the right to travel? ›

A citizen may have, under the Fourteenth Amendment, the right to travel and transport his property upon them by auto vehicle” (267 U.S. 307 (1925)).

How has the federal government enforced equality as understood in the Fourteenth Amendment? ›

U.S. Constitution

The Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause requires states to practice equal protection. Equal protection forces a state to govern impartially—not draw distinctions between individuals solely on differences that are irrelevant to a legitimate governmental objective.

Did the 14th Amendment abolish slavery? ›

The Fourteenth Amendment was one of three amendments to the Constitution adopted after the Civil War to guarantee black rights. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, the Fourteenth granted citizenship to people once enslaved, and the Fifteenth guaranteed black men the right to vote.

Why did Congress need the 14th Amendment? ›

Some southern states began actively passing laws that restricted the rights of former slaves after the Civil War, and Congress responded with the 14th Amendment, designed to place limits on states' power as well as protect civil rights.

How was citizenship defined before the 14th Amendment? ›

Before the Fourteenth Amendment, a native born citizen was a citizen of a State, and a native born citizen of the United States, when aboard. Before the Fourteenth Amendment, an alien or foreigner could become a naturalized citizen of the United States or a naturalized citizen of a State.

What is the 14th Amendment right to privacy? ›

In the Fourteenth Amendment, the right to privacy is implied by the guarantee of due process for all individuals, meaning that the state cannot exert undue control over citizens' private lives.

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