what significant question would passage of the fourteenth amendment address?
what significant question would passage of the fourteenth amendment address?
Answer: The passage of the Fourteenth Amendment addressed the significant question of equal protection under the law. The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1868, includes a clause known as the Equal Protection Clause, which states:
“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.”
This clause was introduced in response to the unequal treatment and discrimination that African Americans and other marginalized groups faced, particularly in the aftermath of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. The Equal Protection Clause was intended to ensure that all individuals, regardless of race or other characteristics, are treated equally under the law and have access to the same legal rights and protections.
The Fourteenth Amendment and its Equal Protection Clause have played a significant role in various legal and social battles aimed at combating racial segregation, discriminatory practices, and unequal treatment. The amendment has been cited in numerous landmark Supreme Court cases addressing civil rights, including Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.