Final answer:
The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed citizenship and equal protection under the law to all citizens, especially former slaves, ensuring their rights and legal protections.
Explanation:
The Fourteenth Amendment and Its Importance
The Fourteenth Amendment, passed in 1868, guaranteed citizenship and equal protection under the law to anyone born or naturalized in the United States. It aimed to protect the rights of all citizens, especially former slaves, ensuring they receive the same legal protections and opportunities as others.
- By granting citizenship to all people born in the United States, including those formerly enslaved, the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees all citizens 'equal protection of the laws.'
- It gave citizens equal protection under both the state and federal law, ultimately overturning the Dred Scott decision that denied citizenship to African Americans.
- Over the years, it has been used to ensure states uphold the same freedoms as granted in the Bill of Rights, further solidifying civil liberties for all Americans.
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