14th Amendment Dbq

The 14th amendment was ratified and passed in 1868 during the reconstruction period. The ratification of the 14th amendment was triggered by the Civil War. The relationship between state government and national government, made the issue of slavery complex. These issues caused a split in the nation; most of the southern states wanting to keep the institution of slavery, and most of the north against the institution of slavery. The opposition of opinions on slavery and federalism caused for states to secede, which initiated the Civil War. Once the war ended, President Abraham Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all slaves free. The ratification of the 14th amendment ensured the prevention of something like the Civil War

The 14th amendment assisted the Civil Rights cause by overturning the Plessy v. Ferguson case with the Brown v. The Board of Education. The Plessy v. Ferguson case established “separate but equal”. The Brown v. The Board of Education overturned the previous case because it opposed school segregation. The Brown v. The Board of Education incorporated the 14th amendment with the Equal Protection Clause. Since this case expanded the Equal Protection Clause, it expanded civil liberties as well. It expanded civil liberties because through the Supreme Court decision, the States would have to desegregate all their schools, so they are not taking away their fundamental rights. Also the Heart of Atlanta Motel v. U.S expanded the Civil Rights movement through the 14th amendment. The case involved an Atlanta hotel that refused to serve black customers. The Supreme Court ruled that the hotel had to serve black citizens, and upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act 1964 outlawed discrimination against race, color, gender, religion in labor. The 14th amendment ensures that all citizens of the U.S are protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.This expanded civil liberties through the Equal Protection clause. Since the equal protection clause guarantees that states must protect the fundamental rights, which includes the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The 14th amendment expanded civil liberties because it protected African Americans fundamental rights by ensuring that states protected them through the Equal Protection