What does the 14th Amendment guarantee?

The 14th Amendment is a crucial component of the Reconstruction Amendments and primarily addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law. Ratified in 1868, it guarantees that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens, which was particularly significant for former enslaved people after the Civil War.

This amendment also includes important clauses that protect against state infringement on individual rights, including the Equal Protection Clause, which provides that no state shall deny any person the equal protection of the laws. Thus, the amendment is foundational in establishing the principle of citizenship and equality, and its impact has been far-reaching in subsequent civil rights legislation and court rulings.

While the other choices address important issues in American history—freedom from slavery, women's voting rights, and property rights—they do not accurately represent the primary focus of the 14th Amendment, which centers on citizenship.