What is the significance of the 14th amendment?

Answer 1

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.


Ok, nutshell explanation, anyone born on US soil is a natural-born citizen, as per Article I. Article II over-rides the previous statute of slaves being 3/5 of a person, now any male over 21 could vote, and representation in the House was adjusted to incorporate the possible influx of members due to the recalibration. Article III basically states that any member of a rebellion against the United States *cough Confederate States of America cough* can't hold any office, military of civilian, unless Congress overrules the disability with a 2/3 majority vote, on a case-by-case basis. Article IV states that the US won't pay reparations for lost slaves, or the CSA's debts. Article V is just there to say Congress will make states do this.

It's significance is this: Have you heard the term anchor-babies? An anchor baby is a child, born in America, to illegal alien parents, and the parents use the child to get welfare, get it an education, which the parents normally don't care about anyways, and whenever someone comes sniffing, say "They're an American citizen, don't split up our family!" As of the last Congress, there were proposals to alter Article I, to require that one parent must be a US citizen to make you a natural citizen, and if neither were, you weren't a citizen, and could be deported, with the parents, to the parent's home country.

Answer 2

The 14th amendment is what created the incorporation doctrine that allowed the Supreme Court to make the Bill of Rights apply to the states. It's the only part of the constitution that talks about equality (in the equal protection clause). And it also ensures due process at the state level.

Answer 3

Santapatita's answer is fine and accurate. It should also be noted that the 14th has had the effect of significantly expanding the power of the federal government (especially the judicial branch of the federal government) and it has had a homogenizing effect on the laws of the states -- forcing the states to have laws and law enforcement methods that are consistent across the entire country.

Answer 4

The 14th amendment is also when GW Bush commit ed an impeachable offense.
When he Said that Social Security was going broke
He violated sect 4
But it provides equal protection by law and of the laws to everyone in the US (not just citizens unfortunately)
It basically provides protection from racial segregation and discrimination

Answer 5

The XXIV Amendment gives the former slaves their citizenship. It also give citizenship to anyone born in the US even if the parents are here illegally. This is also the amendment that Corporations say gives them personhood.

Answer 6

It was to give slaves citzenship after the Civil War.... or were you looking for something other than the truth......

"Make the colored man a citizen of the United States and he has every right which you or I have as citizens of the United States under the laws and constitution of the United States. ... He has defined status; he has a country and a home; a right to defend himself and his wife and children; a right to bear arms"