Why was the equal protection clause added to the Fourteenth Amendment? A. It counteracted one found in the Thirteenth Amendment. B. It was in response to Northern laws prohibiting suffrage. C. It restricted the power of Black Codes already in force. D. It protected poor Southern whites who could not vote.
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The equal protection clause was added to the Fourteenth Amendment primarily to address issues related to civil rights and equal treatment under the law, especially in response to the discrimination faced by African Americans.
C. It restricted the power of Black Codes already in force.
The equal protection clause aimed to prohibit discriminatory state laws, such as the Black Codes implemented in Southern states after the Civil War. These codes aimed to restrict the rights of newly freed African Americans and enforce segregation, leading to unequal treatment under the law. The clause was intended to ensure that all individuals, regardless of race or color, would receive equal protection and rights under state laws.