Why the 14th Amendment was Proposed

[Keith Broaders]

The 14th Amendment was proposed after the Civil War to establish fundamental rights for newly freed slaves and to address the political power dynamics of the former Confederate states. Its main goals were to grant citizenship to all persons born in the U.S., guarantee equal protection of the laws to everyone, and ensure due process. It also aimed to penalize states that denied rights to citizens and disqualified former Confederates from holding office.