After it had been passed by Congress in 1866, it finally was ratified in 1868. History.com writes, "The amendment resolved pre-Civil War questions of African American citizenship by stating that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States…are citizens of the United States and of the state in which they reside.” The amendment then reaffirmed the privileges and rights of all citizens, and granted all these citizens the “equal protection of the laws.” I'm sure the Fox News slog Mark Levin hated this amendment.