"All Persons Born or Naturalized in the United States

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States . . . are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Under what historical circumstances was the Fourteenth Amendment, quoted above, passed?

A) It was passed soon after the American Revolution to limit the power of the federal government.
B) It was passed soon after the Civil War to protect the rights of former slaves.
C) It was passed soon after the First World War to protect the rights of immigrants.
D) It was passed during the Vietnam War to protect the freedom of antiwar protesters.