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14th Amendment Facts & Worksheets

The Fourteenth Amendment is one of the Reconstruction Amendments done at the end of the Civil War.

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The Fourteenth Amendment is one of the Reconstruction Amendments done at the end of the Civil War. It was the longest amendment out of the three and it was ratified to protect the civil rights of the freed slaves after the Civil War with the help of the 13th amendment. The Fourteenth Amendment focused on the citizenship and the rights of the citizens. It was proposed not only to protect the rights and relevant issues of the American people, but also the protection of the citizenship rights and equal protection of their former slaves freed after the American Civil War.

See the fact file below for more information on the 14th Amendment or alternatively, you can download our 23-page 14th Amendment worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BACKGROUND

  • The 13th amendment was effectively implemented across the country but a lot of southern states created laws and social conventions also known as Black Codes.
  • These Black Codes were designed to restrict the rights and privileges of African Americans.
  • Many of the freed slaves could still not travel widely, own certain types of property, and have a stand in sueing or even testify in state courts.
  • The Congress addressed this problem by amending the constitution, hence the 14th amendment.
  • The first step done to ratify the 14th amendment was the proposal of the Civil Rights of 1866.
  • The Civil Rights of 1866 aimed to guarantee the citizenship of every person born in America even if they had been born to slaves.
  • It also aimed to provide equal protection under the law.
  • This bill was approved by both houses of the Congress.
  • The 14th amendment thoroughly explained the definition of an American Citizen.
  • This amendment officially gave freed slaves their U.S. citizenships.
  • The freed slaves were also awarded the rights given to U.S citizens by the Constitution.
  • The amendment also guaranteed that once a person has been granted U.S citizenship, it could not be taken away.
  • If a person lied in order to get U.S. citizenship, the citizenship could be taken away.

SECTION 1

  • This section declares that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are American citizens and citizens of their state of residence.
  • The section does not allow the states to compress the privileges and immunities of U.S. citizens.
  • Also, this section does not allow the deprivation of life to any person, liberty, or property without due process of law.
  • Section one promises to not deny any person the equal protection of the laws.
  • The court did not give a definite explanation of the the privileges and immunities of citizenship.
  • Some justices have argued that among the activities considered are freedom to cross state boundaries and freedom to gather for peaceable discussion of legislation.
  • The court has preferred to base its decisions on the due process and the equal protection clauses, which apply to all persons irrespective of citizenship.

SECTION 2

  • This section provides for apportionment of membership in the House of Representatives on the basis of the whole state population, excluding non-taxed Native Americans.
  • Section 2 is a supplemental provision intended to protect African-American suffrage, but it was never implemented.
  • The section allows reduction of the congressional representation of a state if male citizens over 21 years old are forbidden to vote.

SECTION 3

  • Section 3 was included in the amendment to keep the members of the Confederacy during the Civil war from holding office.
  • Members of the Confederacy participated in a rebellion against the government.
  • These people cannot hold a position in state or federal office.
  • For former confederates to hold a position in a federal office, they had to swear an oath to justify the U.S. Constitution.
  • People who violated this oath were considered to be the people who aided the Confederacy during the Civil War.
  • Congress can remove the disability of an unqualified candidate by a two-thirds vote of the Congress.

SECTION 4

  • Section 4 explains that the federal government is not liable to compensate former slave owners from the loss of their slaves.
  • This section confirms the public debt, but makes void all claims arising from credit extended to the Confederacy.
  • It also applies in situations where former slave owners lost their slaves.

SECTION 5

  • This section is also called the Enforcement Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
  • It gives the Congress the authority to pass laws.
  • The congress has the authority to execute the legislation to carry out the succeeding sections.

14th Amendment Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about 14th Amendment across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use 14th Amendment worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Fourteenth Amendment which is one of the Reconstruction Amendments done at the end of the Civil War. It was the longest amendment out of the three and it was ratified to protect the civil rights of the freed slaves after the Civil War with the help of the 13th amendment. The Fourteenth Amendment focused on the citizenship and the rights of the citizens. It was proposed not only to protect the rights and relevant issues of the American people, but also the protection of the citizenship rights and equal protection of their former slaves freed after the American Civil War.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • US Civil War: 14th Amendment Facts
  • Wanted: Amendment
  • Section Completion
  • Correct Clauses
  • 14th Amendment Keywords
  • Important People
  • In My Own Words
  • Citizen or Not
  • Dates and States
  • Comic Analysis
  • Amendments Before and After

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Link will appear as 14th Amendment Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 8, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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