Concept

Fourteenth Amendment

The 1868 constitutional amendment guaranteeing citizenship and equal protection of the law to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, overturning the Dred Scott decision.

Constitutional amendment passed during Reconstruction to guarantee equal protection and due process for all citizens, particularly addressing the rights of recently freed slaves. It defined citizenship to include former slaves, guaranteed equal protection under the law, and prohibited states from depriving citizens of life, liberty, or property without due process.