Answer: The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, significantly altered the relationship between the federal government and state governments in the United States. It was primarily intended to grant citizenship rights to all individuals born or naturalized in the U.S. and to protect them from state infringement of those rights.
The 14th Amendment significantly curtailed "states' rights" by granting the federal government greater power to ensure the protection of the constitutional rights of all citizens, particularly in the area of civil rights. Section 1 of the amendment declares that no state shall "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
The 14th Amendment also empowered the federal government to enforce the amendment's provisions through appropriate legislation. This meant that the federal government could take action against state governments that were violating the civil rights of their citizens, something that was not possible under previous interpretations of the Constitution.
In essence, the 14th Amendment shifted power from the states to the federal government in matters of civil rights and individual liberties. It established a new relationship between the federal government and the states, with the federal government having a greater role in protecting individual rights and enforcing civil rights laws.