14th Amendment ratified July 9, 1868
The 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law, was ratified on July 9, 1868 — just five days after Independence Day.
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Heather Cox Richardson on Trump’s 250th Celebrations
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Jun 21, 2026
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The 14th Amendment as America's Greatest Moment — and What Should Be a Holiday
At 1:03:00 · chapter starts 1:00:20
Wagner poses a high-stakes historical thought experiment: if you could create a new national holiday around a moment in American history, what would it be? Richardson answers without hesitation: the 14th Amendment, ratified July 9, 1868, which she calls the amendment that said 'that whole equality thing, we mean it.' [1] — Heather Cox Richardson "If Richardson could create a new national holiday, it would be the 14th Amendment — ratified July 9, 1868, just five days after Independenc…" 1:00:08 Along with the 13th and 15th Amendments, it was the first time the Constitution gave Congress power to act affirmatively for rights rather than merely constraining government. The production team confirms the ratification date, and both Wagner and Richardson delight in its proximity to July 4th — close enough not to disrupt anyone's vacation schedule. Richardson adds the Voting Rights Act as a co-nominee, citing its establishment of ballots in multiple languages and its unequivocal guarantee that every American gets a say in their government — a guarantee the radical right has been working to dismantle ever since.
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