The Fourteenth Amendment

[ClassicalLib17]

I would love to hear from the multiculturalists on the 'new' meaning of the 14th Amendment. Here is its context in historical times: 14th Amendment

The Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution was passed by both houses on 8th June and the 13th June, 1866. The amendment was designed to grant citizenship to and protect the civil liberties of recently freed slaves. It did this by prohibiting states from denying or abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, depriving any person of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law, or denying to any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Most Southern states refused to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment and therefore Radical Republicanshttp://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASradical.htm such as Thaddeus Stevenshttp://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASstevens.htm, Charles Sumnerhttp://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASsumner.htm, Benjamin Wade, Henry Winter Davieshttp://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASdavis.htm and Benjamin Butlerhttp://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASbutlerB.htm urged the passing of further legislation to impose these measures on the former Confederacy. The result was the 1867 Reconstruction Actshttp://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USA...uction.htm that divided the South into five military districts controlled by martial law, proclaimed universal manhood suffrage and required the new state constitutions to be drawn up.