How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States..."

Partially-Printed Document, signed
St. Paul, Minnesota, March 1, 1867. Bifolium, 11 1/4 x 8 1/2 in. (286 x 216 mm). Partially-printed document, being the official certification of the text of the Fourteenth Amendment approved by the Minnesota State Legislature, signed by Secretary State Henry C. Rogers: "I, Henry C. Rogers, Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota, Do Hereby Certify, that the annexed is a true copy of a Concurrent Resolution of the Legislature of the State of Minnesota, Relative to an Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, Approved February 1st, 1867, as taken from the original rolls on file in this office." Manuscript docket on verso. Green paper seal present. Creasing from old folds; two closed tears along center repaired with cello tape; scattered foxing.

The official certification of the 14th Amendment by the state of Minnesota, passed by the Minnesota state legislature on January 16, officially approved on February 1, 1867, and certified here by Secretary of Henry C. Rogers. Printing the entirety of the legislation on the attached integral leaf, signed in type by the Minnesota Speaker of the House of Representatives John Q. Farmer and Thomas H. Armstrong, President of the State Senate.

The Fourteenth Amendment was the second of three Reconstruction Amendments, and one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in American history, defining universal citizenship, and equal protection under law at all levels of government.

Despite the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in December 1865 formally abolishing slavery, Republicans in Congress remained concerned about the security of the civil rights for Freedmen in America, especially in former states of the Southern Confederacy. In an effort to further protect those formerly enslaved, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 which guaranteed citizenship without regard to race. However, it was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, citing discrimination against Southern states due to their lack of representation at the time. The act was quickly passed again, but this time Johnson's veto was overridden in both the House and Senate, and the law took effect. While the passage was a victory, many in the Republican party worried about its enforcement, and desired a stricter protection of Freedmen's civil rights in the form of a constitutional amendment.

In April 1866, after much debate, the Joint Committee on Reconstruction transmitted multiple versions of the amendment to Congress, which were condensed and modified to its present state. While its language received bipartisan support, many Radical Republicans lamented the amendment's focus on only civil rights, and lacked firm protection of political or voting rights. These grievances were what led those such as Thaddeus Stevens to call for the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment shortly afterwards, protecting universal male suffrage.

The Fourteenth Amendment was forwarded to state legislatures in June of 1866, with Minnesota becoming the twelfth state to ratify it. It took effect on April 9, 1868 after South Carolina became the 28th state convention to pass it, and it has since become one of the most litigated amendments to the United States Constitution.

Very rare. We have been unable to locate any other official state certifications regarding the Fourteenth Amendment in the available auction record.