The amendment granted citizenship to all born the united states or naturalized in the U.S. which included former slaves who had just been freed after the civil war. The southerners tried to reject the amendment but couldn't because the amendment met the requirements. as the reconstruction amendment, it forbids any states to deny any person's life, liberty or property, without any due process of law or to deny any person within its area the equal protection of the laws. There were some negatives and positives on this topic. The negative is that groups tried to use the 14th amendment to further their causes. Women tried to use the amendment to proclaim their right to vote, And african americans tried to use it as well. One negative thing about this amendment was that only men at the age of 21 were able to vote. The positives on this topic like I said already that any person born in america are citizen and also that everyone in america will be treated