Final answer:
The southern state legislators most objected to voting rights for African Americans in the 14th Amendment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The southern state legislators most objected to d) Voting rights for African Americans. The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, ensured equal protection under the law, and established due process rights. However, the southern state legislators strongly opposed granting voting rights to African Americans. This provision threatened their political power and their ideology of white supremacy.
By denying voting rights to African Americans, southern states sought to maintain their control over the political system and preserve racial hierarchy. It was a way to disenfranchise and marginalize African Americans, preventing them from participating fully in the democratic process.