Why was the fourteenth amendment not successfully implemented in southern states during the reconstruction era?

The Fourteenth Amendment was not successfully implemented in Southern states during the Reconstruction era due to widespread resistance from white Southern leaders and institutions, who sought to maintain their pre-war social order and white supremacy. Additionally, systemic intimidation, violence from groups like the Ku Klux Klan, and the establishment of discriminatory laws, such as Black Codes, undermined its enforcement. The federal government's inconsistent commitment to protecting the rights of newly freed African Americans further weakened the amendment's impact in the South. Ultimately, the withdrawal of federal troops in 1877 marked the end of Reconstruction, allowing Southern states to reassert control and effectively nullify the amendment's guarantees.