Analyze why the addition of the Fourteenth Amendment was necessary.(1 point)

Question

Responses

to limit the powers held by the states, prevent unjust treatment, and ensure equal rights for all citizens
to limit the powers held by the states, prevent unjust treatment, and ensure equal rights for all citizens

to give the states more power so the federal government could not limit the states’ authority
to give the states more power so the federal government could not limit the states’ authority

to further explain the rights granted in the Thirteenth Amendment, which guaranteed freedom to people who had been enslaved
to further explain the rights granted in the Thirteenth Amendment, which guaranteed freedom to people who had been enslaved

to clarify for the Supreme Court what rights people who had been enslaved were entitled to

Answer 1

The most accurate response regarding the necessity of the Fourteenth Amendment is:

to limit the powers held by the states, prevent unjust treatment, and ensure equal rights for all citizens.

Here's an analysis of why this response is correct:

1. Limiting State Powers: The Fourteenth Amendment was designed to restrict the ability of states to enact laws that would infringe on the rights of citizens, especially in the context of newly freed African Americans. It aimed to ensure that states could not undermine federal protections and rights.

2. Preventing Unjust Treatment: The amendment includes the Equal Protection Clause, which mandates that states provide equal protection under the law to all individuals. This was particularly crucial following the Civil War and during the Reconstruction era, when discriminatory laws like Black Codes were being implemented in many Southern states.

3. Ensuring Equal Rights: The amendment sought to guarantee citizenship and legal rights to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. It was a response to the systemic inequalities and injustices that had arisen, particularly against former slaves and their descendants, thus establishing a foundation for civil rights.

The other options (giving states more power, explaining the Thirteenth Amendment, and clarifying rights for the Supreme Court) do not accurately reflect the core objectives of the Fourteenth Amendment, which fundamentally aimed at protecting individuals and ensuring their rights against state infringement.