 It extended citizenship to everyone born in the United States (except visitors and Indians on reservations), penalized states that did not give the vote to freedmen, and most important, created new federal civil rights that could be protected by federal courts.It guaranteed the federal war debt would be paid (and promised the Confederate debt would never be paid).Johnson used his influence to block the amendment in the states since three-fourths of the states were required for ratification (the amendment was later ratified).