The Fourteenth Amendment is a broadly worded and widely utilized law. Its original intent, however, was to ______.

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The Fourteenth Amendment was primarily intended to protect the rights of freed slaves and ensure that they were not subjected to discriminatory state laws. Its provisions guarantee equal protection under the law and due process for all citizens, regardless of race, and were intended to address the failures of the Reconstruction-era southern states to live up to the promises of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery. While the amendment has been expanded over time to protect a wide range of civil rights, its original intent was to address the specific injustices faced by black Americans after the Civil War.

The Fourteenth Amendment Is a Broadly Worded and Widely Utilized