What did the 14th Amendment guarantee?

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, is a crucial part of the Reconstruction amendments that focused on securing rights for former slaves and ensuring the civil rights of all individuals. The correct response highlights the two key guarantees provided by the amendment: it grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and mandates that these individuals receive equal protection under the law. This was particularly significant during the Reconstruction era, as it aimed to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans and to counteract the Black Codes and other discriminatory practices that sought to limit their freedoms.

The establishment of equal protection under the law has had a lasting impact on American jurisprudence, forming the basis for numerous civil rights cases in the decades that followed, influencing significant movements for social justice and equality. This amendment was a foundational element in transforming the legal landscape in America, ensuring that no person could be denied the equal protection of the laws, regardless of race or previous condition of servitude.