What is the 14th amendment in simple terms?

Answer 1

The 14th Amendment was passed after the American Civil War, and was designed to prevent states from denying due process and equal protection under the law to their citizens.

First, it provides a broad definition of U.S. citizenship, saying that all persons "born or naturalized" in the United States are citizens, and must be treated as such. This overturned the Supreme Court's notorious ruling in "Dredd Scott v. Sandford"

Second, it requires states to give everyone under their jurisdiction equal protection of the law - this was designed to prevent states from passing laws that were overtly discriminatory, especially based on race.

Third, it prohibited states from depriving persons of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. This provision in the 14th Amendment has probably had the most wide-reaching effects. As the Bill of Rights (the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution) is written, it only applies to the federal government, and for more than 100 years, was held not to apply to the states.

The 14th Amendment changed all of this - the Due Process clause of the 14th Amendment has been read by the Supreme Court, beginning in the early 20th century, to apply most of the bill of rights to the states. Because the phrases "liberty" and "due process" are not defined in the constitution, it is up to the federal courts to give them meaning. In determining if a given state action violated this clause of the 14th Amendment, the Supreme Court began looking to other rights guaranteed in the constitution to determine which rights are considered "fundamental" in American Jurisprudence.

By the middle of the 20th Century, almost every amendment in the bill of rights had been incorporated against the states. The exceptions are the 3rd Amendment, which prohibits the government from quartering troops in private residences (but that amendment hasn't been relevant since the Civil War), the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms (though the Supreme Court did just recently hold that this amendment does confer an individual right to own guns for self-defense, and it's very possible that it could be incorporated in the next few years), the 5th Amendment's requirement of indictment by grand jury for felonies, the 7th Amendment right to a jury trial in civil cases, and the 8th Amendment's protection against excessive bail.

Answer 2

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is one of the post-Civil War amendments and it includes the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses. It was proposed on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868.

The amendment provides a broad definition of national citizenship, overturning a central holding of the Dred Scott case. It requires the states to provide equal protection under the law to all persons (not only to citizens) within their jurisdictions.

Current Supreme Court Justice David Souter has called this amendment "the most significant structural provision adopted since the original Framing". (McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky (2005)), although the true significance of the Amendment was not realized until the 1950s and 1960s, when it was interpreted to prohibit racial segregation in public schools and other facilities in Brown v. Board of Education.

The 14th amendment is called the rights of citizens. It protects the rights for the free black slaves.

It's called the civil rights act of 1964.

It defines who is a citizen of the US.

The 14th amendment states that states must provide equal protection to all people. It also defines what citizenship is.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Citizenship Rights All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State. 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void. 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

the 14th amendment is that everybody is equal

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Answer 3

The 14th Amendment of the American Constitution is where black Americans were granted citizenship and the 15th Amendment is when they were allowed to vote.

The 14th amendment states that all Americans have equal protection of the law. Not only is this the basis for eliminating systemic discrimination against black people but it has also been used as the basis for removing arbitrary discrimination on the basis of sex in laws.

Answer 4

Citizenship Clause - the citizenship clause gives individual born in the United States, but especially at that time, African Americans the right to citizenship.

Answer 5

The 14th Amendment gives another kind of due process and makes the whole Constitution apply to state proceedings. It also ensures equal protection.

Answer 6

The 14th Amendment was passed as a Reconstruction Amendment. It says that no state can enforce or make laws that deprive a person of property, life, or liberty.

Answer 7

It defines citizenship. The main purpose was after the civil war and slaves were free, it granted citizenship to them and their descendants.

Answer 8

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution gave citizenship to anyone and everyone born in the USA (especially black people.)