Question

the fourteenth amendment
a. placed into the u.s. constitution an essential holding of the dred scott decision.
b. marked the most important change in the u.s. constitution since the bill of rights.
c. specifically defined suffrage as one of the civil rights to which freed people were entitled.
d. represented a compromise between the moderate and conservative positions on race.
e. passed despite the opposition of charles sumner.

Explanation:

• Option a is incorrect: The Dred Scott decision denied citizenship to enslaved people, while the 14th Amendment granted birthright citizenship, directly overturning this holding.
• Option c is incorrect: The 14th Amendment does not explicitly define suffrage as a civil right for freed people; that was addressed later by the 15th Amendment.
• Option d is incorrect: The 14th Amendment was a progressive measure pushed by Radical Republicans, not a compromise between moderate and conservative racial positions.
• Option e is incorrect: Charles Sumner was a Radical Republican who supported the 14th Amendment, not opposed it.
• Option b is correct: The 14th Amendment established birthright citizenship, equal protection under the law, and due process for all citizens, which was the most impactful constitutional change since the Bill of Rights, fundamentally altering federal-state power and civil rights.

Answer:

b. marked the most important change in the U.S. Constitution since the Bill of Rights.