On July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. It granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and promised equal protection of the laws. The amendment was designed to protect formerly enslaved people after the Civil War. It also addressed issues of representation and limited the political rights of former Confederates. Over time, the Fourteenth Amendment became a central legal foundation for many civil-rights decisions. Its broad language continues to shape debates about equality and individual rights.
