1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to
the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the
State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United
States. Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or
property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its
jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
2. Representatives shall be appointed among the several States according
to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in
each State, excluding Indians not taxed; but whenever the right to vote
at any election for electors of President and Vice-President, or for
United States Representatives in Congress, executive and judicial
officers, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of
the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age and
citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for
participation in rebellion or other crime, the basis of representation
therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male
citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one
years of age in that State.
3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, elector
of President or Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military,
under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously
taken an oath as member of Congress, or as an officer of the United
States, or as a member of any State Legislature, or as an executive or
judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United
States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the
same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof; but Congress may,
by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by
law, including debts incurred for the payment of pensions and bounties
for service in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be
questioned, but neither the United States nor any State shall assume or
pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion
against the United States, or claim for the loss or emancipation of any
slave, but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal
and void.