Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

Amendment XIV (the Fourteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution is one of the post-Civil War amendments and includes the due process and equal protection clauses (Section 1). It was proposed on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868.

Proposal and ratification

The Congress proposed the 14th amendment on June 13, 1866. http://www.nps.gov/malu/documents/amend14.htm There being 37 states in the Union at that time, the ratification (per article V of the constitution) of 28 would bring the 14th amendment into operation. By July 9, 1868, 28 states had ratified the amendment:

Related Topics:
June 13 - 1866 - July 9 - 1868

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• Connecticut (June 25, 1866)
• New Hampshire (July 6, 1866)
• Tennessee (July 19, 1866)
• New Jersey (September 11, 1866)
• Oregon (September 19, 1866)
• Vermont (October 30, 1866)
• Ohio, (January 4, 1867)
• New York (January 10, 1867)
• Kansas (January 11, 1867)
• Illinois (January 15, 1867)
• West Virginia (January 16, 1867)
• Michigan (January 16, 1867)
• Minnesota (January 16, 1867)
• Maine (January 19, 1867)
• Nevada (January 22, 1867)
• Indiana (January 23, 1867)
• Missouri (January 25, 1867)
• Rhode Island (February 7, 1867)
• Wisconsin, (February 7, 1867)
• Pennsylvania (February 12, 1867)
• Massachusetts (March 20, 1867)
• Nebraska (June 15, 1867)
• Iowa (March 16, 1868)
• Arkansas (April 6, 1868)
• Florida (June 9, 1868)
• North Carolina, (July 4, 1868, after having rejected it on December 14, 1866)
• Louisiana (July 9, 1868, after having rejected it on February 6, 1867)
• South Carolina (July 9, 1868, after having rejected it on December 20, 1866)

However, Ohio passed a resolution that purported to withdraw their ratification on January 15, 1868. The New Jersey legislature also tried to rescind their ratification on February 20, 1868. The New Jersey governor had vetoed their withdrawal on March 5, and the legislature overrode the veto on March 24. Accordingly, on July 20, 1868, United States Secretary of State William Seward certified that the amendment had become part of the constitution if the rescissions were ineffective. Congress responded on the following day, declaring that the amendment was part of the constitution and ordering Seward to promulgate the amendment.

Related Topics:
January 15 - 1868 - February 20 - March 5 - March 24 - July 20 - United States Secretary of State - William Seward - Congress

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Meanwhile, two additional states had ratified the amendment:

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• Alabama (July 13, 1868, the date the ratification was "approved" by the governor)
• Georgia (July 21, 1868, after having rejected it on November 9, 1866)

Thus, on July 28, Seward was able to certify unconditionally that the amendment was part of the constitution without having to endorse Congress's assertion that the withdrawals were ineffective.

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There were further, purely symbolic, ratifications and rescissions:

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• Oregon (withdrew October 15, 1868)
• Virginia (October 8, 1869, after having rejected it on January 9, 1867)
• Mississippi (January 17, 1870)
• Texas (February 18, 1870, after having rejected it on October 27, 1866)
• Delaware (February 12, 1901, after having rejected it on February 7, 1867)
• Maryland (1959)
• California (1959)
• Kentucky (1976, after having rejected it on January 8, 1867)