Which amendment provides due process and equal protection under the law?

The correct answer is the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868. This amendment is crucial in the context of civil rights and establishes two key principles: due process and equal protection under the law.

Due process means that the government must follow fair procedures when it deprives a person of life, liberty, or property. It ensures that legal proceedings are conducted fairly and that individuals have the right to defend themselves in a court of law.

Equal protection refers to the requirement that individuals in similar situations be treated equally by the law. This provision was instrumental in challenges against discriminatory laws and practices, particularly those that enforced racial segregation and inequality.

The other amendments listed do not serve the same purpose. The 12th Amendment primarily addresses the electoral process, particularly the election of the President and Vice President. The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, focuses on prohibiting the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude but does not explicitly address due process or equal protection. The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, which is significant in its own right but does not encompass due process or equal protection provisions.