The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution ratified civil rights to all persons born and naturalized in the United States which included former slaves recently freed. It forbade the states from denying “life”, “liberty”, “property” or the “equal protection” of the law to individuals regardless of race or ethnicity. The Fourteenth Amendment was implemented on July 9, 1868 in response to problems related to former slaves after the American Civil War.
In one sentence, the Fourteenth Amendment says: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, regardless of race or ethnicity have the right to be secured in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches, violations or, warrants and are granted the right of liberty, property and equal protection of laws.