The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is one of the nation's most important laws relating to citizenship and civil rights. Ratified in 1868, three years after the abolishment of slavery, the 14th Amendment served a revolutionary purpose — to define African Americans as equal citizens under the law.
DuBois believe in what he called the "the talented tenth" of the black population who, through there intellectual accomplishments, would rise up to lead the black masses. Unlike Washington, DuBois felt that equality with whites was of the utmost importance.