The 14th Amendment extended rights to which group?

The 14th Amendment extended rights to which group?

• A. It ended slavery in the United States
• B. It guaranteed universal suffrage for women
• C. It extended rights granted by the Bill of Rights to former slaves.
• D. It created the Income Tax.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment redefined who counts as a citizen and tied basic protections to state actions. It declares that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens, which included former slaves, and it guarantees due process and equal protection under the law. It also begins the process of applying protections from the Bill of Rights to state governments, not just the federal government. In practical terms, this means states couldn’t arbitrarily deprive new citizens of life, liberty, or property, and they had to treat people fairly under the law. The other options mix up different reforms: ending slavery was the 13th Amendment; universal women's suffrage was achieved later with the 19th Amendment; the income tax comes from the 16th Amendment.

The main idea is that after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment redefined who counts as a citizen and tied basic protections to state actions. It declares that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens, which included former slaves, and it guarantees due process and equal protection under the law. It also begins the process of applying protections from the Bill of Rights to state governments, not just the federal government. In practical terms, this means states couldn’t arbitrarily deprive new citizens of life, liberty, or property, and they had to treat people fairly under the law.

The other options mix up different reforms: ending slavery was the 13th Amendment; universal women's suffrage was achieved later with the 19th Amendment; the income tax comes from the 16th Amendment.