14th Amendment — Equal Protection and Citizenship
The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and established equal protection under the law — overturning Dred Scott and laying the foundation for modern civil rights law.
What Happened
Ratified on July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment transformed American constitutional law. Its key provisions: birthright citizenship for all persons born or naturalized in the United States (overturning Dred Scott); the due process clause, requiring states not to deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process; and the equal protection clause, requiring that no state deny any person equal protection of the laws. Over the following century, its equal protection clause became the basis for landmark civil rights decisions.
Why It Mattered Then
The 14th Amendment was the constitutional heart of Reconstruction — an attempt to rebuild American law on a foundation of genuine equality. It reversed the Supreme Court's Dred Scott ruling and extended federal power to protect individual rights against state action.
Why It Matters Now
The 14th Amendment is the most litigated provision of the Constitution. Its equal protection clause was the basis for Brown v. Board of Education and dozens of other landmark decisions. Nearly every major civil rights and civil liberties case involves it.
Key Themes
This event is part of the 1865–1877: Reconstruction era (1865–1877).
Explore This Era →