The Significance of the 14th Amendment

Inequality is still persistent in the 21st century. The historic uprising worldwide to provide equal rights demonstrates a sense of unity and liberty among people. In the US, before the 14th Amendment, there were many ways where people got exploited based on their race. It was in the 1800s when The US began to recognize the right to equality for all. From native African workers to Indian soldiers and artisans. The 14th Amendment showed a historic win for people of race and color in the US. It was giving them equal rights.

Five sections of the 14th Amendment deals with equal rights to people of all races and colors. It was the abolishment of the ‘Black Code.’ A demeaning policy that denied African Americans their rights as a citizen of America. From separate washrooms, transports, right to sue, right to own property, to even merely having the right to education as an equal got denied to the African Americans. Hence the 14th Amendment made the necessary changes known as the ‘reconstruction amendment’ to provide African Americans the right to equality.

The 14th Amendment consists of 5 sections:

Section One

Section One ensures that no citizen shall be denied their right to the following without the law’s process.

Life

Liberty and

Property

It guarantees all the rights and privileges of citizenship to the people born or completed the process of naturalization. It prevents the law from going against these constitutional rights.

Section Two

Section 2 under the 14th Amendment states that the process of apportionment of the seats in the US House of Representatives must represent the whole population. There should not be any discrimination based on color and race. The right to vote for every male above the age of 21 years

Section Three

Section Three forbids a person from holding any position in the federal office by appointment or by-election if they participated in rebellion or assault against the US. Former confederate military officers and politicians also get prevented from holding government office.

Section Four

The section states that the US government or any state government will not compensate for the African American people’s lost enslavement. Also, there will be no compensation for the loss due to the confederacy resulting from their civil war participation.

Section Five

Section Five is also known as the ‘Enforcement Clause.’ It allows Congress the power to pass ‘ Appropriate legislation’ as an inevitable force to amend other clauses and provisions.

Summary

The 14th amendment abolished the unfair practice of enslavement. By curbing compensation and provisions related to enslavement. During the 1800s, the law bought into effect and thus beginning to end slavery in the US.