What does the 14th Amendment ensure for individuals born in the U.S.?

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution plays a crucial role in defining citizenship and ensuring equality under the law for individuals born in the United States. Specifically, it establishes that anyone born or naturalized in the U.S. is a citizen and therefore entitled to all rights and protections afforded to citizens.

This amendment was adopted in the aftermath of the Civil War and was intended to provide a comprehensive guarantee of civil rights, making it clear that citizenship cannot be denied on account of race or previous condition of servitude. Additionally, the amendment contains the Equal Protection Clause, which mandates that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Thus, individuals born in the U.S. are not only granted citizenship but are also protected under the legal principle that they must receive equal treatment under the law. This foundational guarantee has significant implications for civil rights and has been the basis for numerous landmark Supreme Court cases related to discrimination and equality.