14th Amendment

Andrew Johnson

Jun 22, 1866

Andrew Johnson did not agree with this Amendment. He wrote a message to the congress telling them that the 14th Amendment had been sent to the states for it to be ratified. In the message he said that "his actions should be considered as purely ministerial, and in no sense whatever committing the Executive to an approval or a recommendation of the Amendment to the State legislatures or to the people."
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Delaware is the first state to reject the 14th Amendment

Feb 7, 1867

Delaware is the first state to reject the 14th Amendment. The former Confederate States of America also rejected it but Delaware was the first state to reject it. Even though they were the first to reject it they would after all ratify the 14th Amendment in 1901.
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The Reconstruction Acts is passed by Congress

Mar 2, 1867

All of the southern states refused to ratify the 14th Amendment so the federal government had the Reconstruction Act passed. This would divide the southern states in 5 different zones. Tennessee was the only southern state that would not refuse to ratify the 14th Amendment.
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Congress passed the 14th Amendment

Jun 13, 1868

The 14th Amendment was passed through the congress. Now it has to be ratified by 3/4 of the states to become apart of the Constitution.
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Connecticut was the first State to ratify the 14th Amendment

Jun 30, 1868

Connecticut was the first state that ratified the 14th Amendment. The next state to ratify the 14th Amendment happened two weeks later which was New Hampshire.
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The 14th Amendment was added to the United States Constitution on July 9, 1868.

Jul 9, 1868

Louisiana and South Carolina ratified the 14th Amendment which officially made it apart of the United States Constitution on July 9, 1868. They had rejected it a year earlier. This gave them votes from 3/4 of the states to ratify it.
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Slaughter House Cases

Apr 14, 1873

In the Slaughter-House Case slaughterhouse owners challenged the state's action by bringing into it the 14th Amendment. Slaughterhouses are located in New Orleans and they were causing some health problems for the people.
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Plessy v. Ferguson

May 18, 1896

In the Plessy v. Ferguson act a guy who was only 7/8 Caucasian sat in a "whites only" spot on the train. That guy refused to move to the car that is for the "blacks only" train car. Plessy argued using the 13 and 14 Amendment that blacks were getting treated unfairly to the whites. He lost in all of the court cases. The court said that "as long as the facilities were equal, their separation satisfied the 14th Amendment."
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Brown v. Board of Education

May 17, 1954

Brown overturned the decision that the court made in the Plessy v. Ferguson. He didn't think that it was right that even though the facilities are "equal" that it should matter what train cart you are in. Because of this the public school segregation basing on race was violated because of the 14th Amendment.
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The last state to ratify the 14th Amendment

Sep 17, 2003

Even though the 14th Amendment became a part of the Constitution in 1868 not all states ratified it. In 2003 Ohio finally ratified the 14th Amendment. This made Ohio the last state to ratify the 14th Amendment.
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