What did the 14th Amendment aim to achieve?

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, was a significant milestone in American history, primarily aimed at addressing issues related to citizenship and civil rights following the Civil War. The key objectives of this amendment were to guarantee citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former enslaved individuals, and to ensure that they received equal protection under the laws.

This amendment sought to provide a constitutional foundation for civil rights, thereby aiming to dismantle the discriminatory practices that had been prevalent prior to its ratification. By establishing the principle of equal protection, the 14th Amendment served as a legal tool to challenge and combat the systemic inequalities faced by marginalized groups.

The other options address different historical issues that are not directly related to the primary purpose of the 14th Amendment. For instance, prohibiting alcohol relates to the Prohibition era and the 18th Amendment, affirming states' rights connects to the broader federalism debates in U.S. history, and establishing voting regulations is more directly related to later amendments, such as the 15th and 19th, which focused specifically on voting rights. Thus, the focus of the 14th Amendment remains squarely on civil rights and equal protection under the law.