One of three Amendments as part of Congress’ reconstruction program to guarantee civil rights to blacks
Major purpose of the 14th amendment was to establish that every person born in the United States is a citizen
They should have all the rights guaranteed to them in the Bill of Rights
On July 28, 1868 the 14th amendment was backed by the Secretary of state and ratified by 28 of the 37 states
Written by John A. Bingham of Ohio
Intention was that equal citizenship bound the states to granting rights promised in the Bill of Rights to everyone
Failed to extend Bill of Rights to the states
Failed to protect the rights of black citizens because after powerful Confederate generals were allowed back into public service, congress became largely Democrat and limited the scope of the Amendment
Drafted
the Fourteenth Amendment which did not specifically give African
Americans the vote, but stated that a State would lose an equal
percentage of its congressional seats as the percentage of citizens kept
from voting
Fourteenth amendment made the issue of citizenship a national issue, not a state issue
Dred Scott Decision set the precedent before that Blacks were not citizens
It set the stage for the fifteenth amendment, which gave blacks the right to vote
African Americans became more and more involved in politics