The 14th Amendment redefined American citizenship and fundamentally altered the relationship between the states and the Federal government. The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution provides that, with few discrete exceptions, people born in the United States are citizens of this country.The Chinese Exclusion Acts denied citizenship to Chinese immigrants. The proposed legislation directly contradicts the 14th Amendment guarantee that all people born in the US and under its jurisdiction are citizens of the US. The Federal Government and the Problem of Chinese Rights in the Era of the Fourteemh. The primary source documents on this page highlight pivotal moments in the course of American history or government. Public schools unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection principle. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is one of the nation's most important laws relating to citizenship and civil rights. Public schools unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection principle. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is one of the nation's most important laws relating to citizenship and civil rights.