Most Americans of African descent were not officially citizens in the United States until
A)1857,when the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dred Scott v.Sandford.
B)1868,when the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution conferred citizenship on the freed slaves.
C)1896,when the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Plessy v.Ferguson.
D)1920,when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution allowed for universal suffrage.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves. This amendment overruled the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision of 1857, which had held that African Americans could not be citizens. Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 established "separate but equal" racial segregation but did not address citizenship rights. The Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 allowed for universal suffrage but did not specifically address citizenship for African Americans.

Most Americans of African Descent Were Not Officially Citizens in the United