Made By National Constitution Center14th Amendment
Citizen Rights, Equal Protection, Apportionment, Civil War Debt
In early 1866, the Joint Committee submitted a number of proposals to the rest of Congress, each addressing a specific problem. The proposals were then bundled into a single amendment. Finally, Congress added the Citizenship Clause. It was passed by Congress on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868.
Special thanks to Kurt Lash from the University of Richmond School of Law for generously sharing his research and expertise on the Reconstruction Amendments. Kurt Lash, The Reconstruction Amendments: Essential Documents (University of Chicago Press, 2019). Read the full textThe Drafting Process
Select a Provision to Learn How It Changed over Time
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1833
1857
Event
Dred Scott decision
In Dred Scott v. Sandford, the Supreme Court ruled that African Americans could not be U.S. citizens. Abolitionists condemned the ruling, and the new Republican Party sought to overturn the decision. In 1866, Congress included a citizenship clause in the proposed 14th Amendment in an effort to undo Dred Scott.
1865
Event
Lincoln dies and Johnson becomes president
After Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Vice President Andrew Johnson became president. While Lincoln had always shown a mix of flexibility and prudence about abolition and African-American rights, Johnson was hostile towards black people. His conciliatory attitude towards the former Confederate states—and acceptance of white supremacy—led to clashes with Congressional Republicans.
1865
1865
1865
Event
Congress forms Joint Committee on Reconstruction
Congress formed a 15-member committee to investigate the post-war South and consider what legislation might be necessary to reunite the nation. The committee focused on several issues: Southern white abuses of African Americans; the possible expansion of Southern white political power in Congress; the Confederacy’s war debt; and the political status of ex-Confederates.
1866
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Draft — January 11, 1866
Bingham proposes equal protection
1866
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Draft — January 11, 1866
Stevens proposes racial equality
1866
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Draft — January 21, 1866
House considers proposal on representation
1866
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Draft — January 26, 1866
Bingham looks to protect rights
1866
Ratification
The House debates Bingham's proposal
The Joint Committee sent John Bingham’s proposed amendment to Congress on February 10, 1866. This proposal borrowed language from the Constitution’s Privileges and Immunities Clause and empowered Congress to protect civil rights. After debate, Congress decided to postpone consideration until April.
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1866
The House debates Bingham's proposal
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1866
Joint Committee sends proposal to Congress
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1866
House debates the amendment
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1866
House passes amendment
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1866
Howard introduces Amendment in Senate
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1866
Senate passes revised amendment
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1866
Congress passes the 14th Amendment
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1868
14th Amendment is ratified
Result
Proposed in Congress
1866
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Draft — February 2, 1866
Bingham suggests further revisions
1866
Event
Congress passes Civil Rights Act of 1866
With the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Republicans sought to attack the South’s discriminatory “black codes” and protect civil rights. President Johnson vetoed the bill, but Congress overrode his veto. After months of rising tensions, Johnson’s veto signaled a decisive break with Congressional Republicans over Reconstruction policy.
1866
Ratification
Joint Committee sends proposal to Congress
In late April, the Joint Committee hammered out the draft that eventually became the 14th Amendment. The committee decided to combine several different issues into a single, bundled amendment. Each house of Congress debated and revised that proposal, then approved it and sent it to the states for ratification.
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1866
The House debates Bingham's proposal
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1866
Joint Committee sends proposal to Congress
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1866
House debates the amendment
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1866
House passes amendment
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1866
Howard introduces Amendment in Senate
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1866
Senate passes revised amendment
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1866
Congress passes the 14th Amendment
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1868
14th Amendment is ratified
Result
Proposed in Congress
1866
Ratification
House debates the amendment
Thaddeus Stevens introduced the proposed 14th Amendment in the House. Members debated the proposal on the House floor, but its language survived without major revisions.
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1866
The House debates Bingham's proposal
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1866
Joint Committee sends proposal to Congress
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1866
House debates the amendment
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1866
House passes amendment
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1866
Howard introduces Amendment in Senate
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1866
Senate passes revised amendment
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1866
Congress passes the 14th Amendment
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1868
14th Amendment is ratified
Result
Proposed in House
1866
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Draft — April 20, 1866
Joint Committee proposes bundled amendment
1866
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Draft — April 27, 1866
Bingham proposes a revised Section One
1866
Ratification
House passes amendment
The House passed the proposed amendment on May 10, 1866.
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1866
The House debates Bingham's proposal
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1866
Joint Committee sends proposal to Congress
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1866
House debates the amendment
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1866
House passes amendment
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1866
Howard introduces Amendment in Senate
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1866
Senate passes revised amendment
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1866
Congress passes the 14th Amendment
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1868
14th Amendment is ratified
Result
Passed by House
1866
Ratification
Howard introduces Amendment in Senate
Senator Jacob Howard introduced the proposed 14th Amendment in the Senate. In the debates that followed, the Senate made some significant revisions.
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1866
The House debates Bingham's proposal
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1866
Joint Committee sends proposal to Congress
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1866
House debates the amendment
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1866
House passes amendment
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1866
Howard introduces Amendment in Senate
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1866
Senate passes revised amendment
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1866
Congress passes the 14th Amendment
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1868
14th Amendment is ratified
Result
Proposed in Senate
1866
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Draft — May 9, 1866
Joint Committee's resolution considered in House
1866
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Draft — May 28, 1866
Howard proposes a citizenship clause
1866
Ratification
Senate passes revised amendment
The Joint Committee issued its report on conditions in the post-Civil War South, and the Senate passed a revised version of the proposed amendment. The debate over the amendment turned back to the House, which now needed to approve the Senate’s version.
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1866
The House debates Bingham's proposal
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1866
Joint Committee sends proposal to Congress
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1866
House debates the amendment
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1866
House passes amendment
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1866
Howard introduces Amendment in Senate
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1866
Senate passes revised amendment
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1866
Congress passes the 14th Amendment
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1868
14th Amendment is ratified
Result
Passed by Senate
1866
Ratification
Congress passes the 14th Amendment
The House accepted the Senate’s revisions and passed the proposed amendment. It was then sent to the states for ratification.
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1866
The House debates Bingham's proposal
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1866
Joint Committee sends proposal to Congress
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1866
House debates the amendment
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1866
House passes amendment
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1866
Howard introduces Amendment in Senate
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1866
Senate passes revised amendment
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1866
Congress passes the 14th Amendment
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1868
14th Amendment is ratified
Result
Passed by Congress, sent to states for ratification
1866
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Draft — June 12, 1866
14th Amendment Final Text
1866
Event
Election of 1866
Republican and Democratic candidates alike made the proposed amendment a key part of the 1866 midterm election campaigns, and President Johnson sided with the Democrats. Congressional Republicans won a landslide victory, picking up majorities in both the House and Senate. Their win helped ensure the ratification of the 14th Amendment.
1867
Event
Reconstruction Acts enacted
With a strengthened majority in Congress, Republicans took Reconstruction policy in a new direction and passed the Reconstruction Acts. These acts directed the military to supervise the creation of new state governments in the South, whose officials would be elected with African-American votes. Once created, these new governments would conduct a second round of voting on the 14th Amendment.
1868
Event
House impeaches Johnson
The House impeached President Johnson, in part, for firing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, who was in charge of enforcing the Reconstruction Acts. But the Senate did not convict Johnson. Spared by a single vote in the Senate, Johnson remained in office until his term expired.
Final
Ratification
14th Amendment is ratified
The 14th Amendment was ratified by three-fourths of the states in July 1868. It brought together three big ideas that affect our lives today.
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1866
The House debates Bingham's proposal
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1866
Joint Committee sends proposal to Congress
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1866
House debates the amendment
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1866
House passes amendment
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1866
Howard introduces Amendment in Senate
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1866
Senate passes revised amendment
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1866
Congress passes the 14th Amendment
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1868
14th Amendment is ratified
Result
Ratified by three-fourths of the states
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14th Amendment Final Text
This is the final version of the text, as amended by the Senate and passed by both houses. After the Senate passed (33-11), the House passed (120-32). It was then sent to the states for ratification.
Section One
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States;
nor shall any State 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.
Section Two
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section Three
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section Four
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section Five
The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Select a document
14th Amendment Final Text
This is the final version of the text, as amended by the Senate and passed by both houses. After the Senate passed (33-11), the House passed (120-32). It was then sent to the states for ratification.
Section One
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States;
nor shall any State 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.
Section Two
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section Three
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section Four
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section Five
The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
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14th Amendment Final Text
This is the final version of the text, as amended by the Senate and passed by both houses. After the Senate passed (33-11), the House passed (120-32). It was then sent to the states for ratification.
Select a document
Select a document to learn more about how it changed over time
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Section One
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States;
nor shall any State 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.
Section Two
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section Three
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section Four
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section Five
The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.