Which group was primarily spurred to action due to the 14th Amendment?

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, was a significant turning point in American history, particularly regarding civil rights. It granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which importantly included former slaves who had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment. This amendment also guaranteed equal protection under the law, which fundamentally aimed to secure the civil rights of these newly freed individuals.

As a result, former slaves were primarily spurred to action because the amendment was a direct response to their status and rights in post-Civil War America. They sought to assert their newfound citizenship, challenge discriminatory laws, and fight for equality and civil rights, leading to significant political and social movements, such as the formation of civil rights organizations.

Other groups, while they may have had their own motivations and issues regarding civil rights and reforms during this time, were not the primary catalysts of action in response to the 14th Amendment as much as former slaves were. Landowners often focused on maintaining their economic power, women were primarily engaged in suffrage movements, and public educators were involved in educational reform, but these issues were not specifically tied to the rights granted by the 14th Amendment.