The original Constitution didn't define citizenship, nor did it give any guarantees of equality. But the 14th Amendment enabled any group of Americans to turn to the Federal government if they faced discrimination and gave them the legal tools to demand redress, just as King did on that December night in Alabama.
14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868)
The Framers' intentions for this clause were twofold: to prevent a society of nobility from being established in the United States, and to protect the republican forms of government from being influenced by other governments.
Congress may submit a proposed constitutional amendment to the states, if the proposed amendment language is approved by a two-thirds vote of both houses. Congress must call a convention for proposing amendments upon application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the states (i.e., 34 of 50 states).
An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or, if two-thirds of the States request one, by a convention called for that purpose. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the State legislatures, or three-fourths of conventions called in each State for ratification.
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Similar to the Ninth Amendment, the Tenth originated from the debates surrounding the inclusion of a bill of rights to the new Constitution.
Constitutional Amendments Proposal by convention of the states, with ratification by state conventions. Proposal by convention of the states, with ratification by state legislatures. Proposal by Congress, with ratification by state conventions. Proposal by Congress, with ratification by the state legislatures.
The amendment process is very difficult and time consuming: A proposed amendment must be passed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, then ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states.
An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or, if two-thirds of the States request one, by a convention called for that purpose. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the State legislatures, or three-fourths of conventions called in each State for ratification.
If you are citing a specific part or article of the U.S. Constitution, you must cite it in the text of the paper using an in-text parenthetical reference using the abbreviations used in "Bluebook Style." For example: In 1920, Suffragettes succeeding in winning the right for women to vote (U. S. Const. amend. XIX).