why did the republicans in congress feel that the fourteenth amendment was nessesary?

Answer 1

The Republicans in Congress felt that the Fourteenth Amendment was necessary to address the issue of civil rights for African Americans following the Civil War. This amendment granted citizenship to all individuals born or naturalized in the United States, including African Americans, and provided equal protection under the law. The Republicans believed that this amendment would help to ensure that African Americans would have the same rights as white citizens and could not be denied their rights based on their race. The amendment was also intended to punish former Confederate leaders and to prevent them from holding public office.