Existing comment:
Equality Before the Law
The 14th Amendment fundamentally altered the balance of power between the states and the Federal Government. Its drafters intended to protect the newly freed slaves' rights from former Confederate state governments. It failed in that regard, but in the 20th century, the 14th Amendment became the core instrument for challenging discriminatory state laws and expanding rights for all citizens.
Joint Resolution Proposing the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, proposed June 13, 1866, Records of the General Government |