Which amendment guaranteed equal protection under the law for all citizens?

• A. 14th Amendment
• B. 19th Amendment
• C. 15th Amendment
• D. 13th Amendment

Answer: (A)

Equal protection under the law is established by the Fourteenth Amendment through its Equal Protection Clause. After the Civil War, this amendment was added to ensure that state governments treat all people within their borders the same and cannot draw arbitrary distinctions between groups. It says that no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, which has allowed courts to curb discriminatory practices and, over time, to apply many federal protections to the states. In practical terms, it means laws and government actions must be fair and not treated as special favors or penalties for certain groups without a solid, justifiable reason.

The other amendments focus on specific rights: one guarantees women’s suffrage, another prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, and another abolishes slavery. The one that provides a broad, ongoing guarantee that everyone is treated equally under the law is the Fourteenth Amendment.