Citizenship Clause: The amendment confers nationality to "all individuals born or naturalized in the United States," which encompasses previously enslaved persons. This provision effectively nullified the Supreme Court's Dred Scott ruling (1857), which refused citizenship to African Americans.
Due Process Clause: It forbids states from stripping any individual of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." This provision guarantees that all persons receive equitable treatment within the judicial system.
Equal Protection Clause: The amendment stipulates that no state shall refuse any individual within its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws." This provision has been essential in numerous significant Supreme Court cases concerning discrimination and civil rights.
Apportionment of Representatives: Section 2 describes how legislators are distributed among states according to their populations while penalizing states that restrict voting rights for male citizens over twenty-one years old.
Disqualification from Office: Section 3 excludes individuals from holding positions if they have participated in insurrection or rebellion against the United States after taking an oath to uphold the Constitution.
Public Debt: Section 4 confirms the legitimacy of government obligations while forbidding compensation for former slave owners and debts incurred by states in support of insurrection.