The Question of Citizenship-

1. As it was originally written, the Constitution mentioned both “citizens of the United States” and “citizens of the States”
2. The coming of the Civil War and the adoption of the 13 th Amendment in 1865 raised the need for a constitutional definition.

Citizenship by Birth-

1. That need was finally met in 1868 by the 14 th Amendment.
2. Defined by the 14 th Amendment a person can become a citizen by: Birth, and by blood.
3. jus soli- citizen by birth
4. Native americans did not always have citizenship

 

Citizenship by Naturalization-

1. A person can also be naturalized, but that is an individual choice, and there are certain requirements that need to be met: First of all a person must be 18 years of age
2. has to have entered the country legally, must have been a resident for at least 5 years, must file a petition, be literate in English, must be of good morale, good citizenship, must have fundamental knowledge of US History,

Loss of Citizenship-

1. Expatriation is the legal process by which a loss of citizenship occurs
2. Denaturalization- only after a citizen becomes by fraud or deception
3. A person can neither gain or lose American citizenship by marriage

A Nation of Immigrants-

1. Congress has the exclusive power to regulate immigration
2. There were only some 2.5 million persons in the united states in 1776
3. Congress has the exclusive power to regulate immigration
4. The States have no power in the Field, The Passenger Cases, 1849
5. Congress placed the first major restrictions on immigration in 1882

Diversity and Discrimination || Equality Before the Law || Federal Civil Rights || American Citizenship|| Breaking Down Barriers