1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, are citizens of the United States.
2. All citizens are entitled to equal protection under the law.
3. No state can deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
The 14th amendment overturned the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision of 1857 that had ruled that blacks were not citizens of the United States. This amendment was a major step forward in the fight for civil rights for African Americans.