Why was it necessary in 1868 to apply the federal Bill of Rights to the states with the 14th Amendment?

to establish civil rights for visible minorities
to establish civil rights for visible minorities

to prevent states from continuing the practice of slavery
to prevent states from continuing the practice of slavery

to give the federal government the power to prevent rebellions
to give the federal government the power to prevent rebellions

to establish proper checks and balances between state and federal governments

to establish proper checks and balances between state and federal governments

The main reason it was necessary in 1868 to apply the federal Bill of Rights to the states with the 14th Amendment was to establish civil rights for visible minorities. Additionally, it was also crucial to prevent states from continuing the practice of slavery. The 14th Amendment aimed to ensure equal protection under the law for all individuals, regardless of their race or ethnicity. It granted the federal government the authority to intervene and protect the rights of individuals against violations committed by the states. Moreover, it helped establish proper checks and balances between state and federal governments by clarifying the relationship between the two entities and reinforcing the authority of the federal government.

The correct answer is "to prevent states from continuing the practice of slavery." The 14th Amendment was necessary in 1868 to apply the federal Bill of Rights to the states in order to ensure that the states could not violate the basic civil rights of individuals, particularly with regard to slavery. Before the 14th Amendment, the Bill of Rights only applied to the federal government, meaning that states were free to pass laws that violated the rights of their citizens.

The 14th Amendment, however, was designed to prevent this by extending the protections of the Bill of Rights to the states. This amendment states, among other things, that no state shall "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law" or "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." These provisions were aimed at ensuring that states could not deny basic civil rights to individuals, including the right to be free from slavery.

Therefore, the primary motivation behind applying the federal Bill of Rights to the states with the 14th Amendment was to prevent states from continuing the practice of slavery and to protect the civil rights of all individuals within the United States.