The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868. It granted citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States," including formerly enslaved people, and provided all citizens with “equal protection under the laws,” extending the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states. The amendment also authorized the government to punish states that abridged citizens’ right to vote by proportionally reducing their representation in Congress. The 14th Amendment has been used as the basis for many landmark civil rights cases, including Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.