Why was the Fourteenth Amendment necessary? The states were establishing churches against the wishes of the federal government.

The states were establishing churches against the wishes of the federal government.

States were not guaranteeing full citizenship rights of former slaves.
States were not guaranteeing full citizenship rights of former slaves.

The federal government needed to establish judicial review for the Supreme Court.
The federal government needed to establish judicial review for the Supreme Court.

Activist judges were asserting their power over the states.

1 answer

The Fourteenth Amendment was necessary primarily because states were not guaranteeing full citizenship rights of former slaves. Ratified in 1868, the amendment was a crucial part of the Reconstruction era and aimed to ensure that all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, were granted citizenship and protected under the law. It also addressed issues related to due process and equal protection under the law, making it fundamental in the fight against racial discrimination and for civil rights.

While issues related to the establishment of churches and judicial review are important in their own contexts, they do not capture the primary reason for the necessity of the Fourteenth Amendment. The amendment was specifically designed to rectify the injustices and inequalities that former slaves faced, ensuring their rights as full citizens in the United States.