The Importance Of Citizenship In American History

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution defined citizenship as anyone born in the U.S. or naturalized, thus giving citizenship to African Americans. Like the 13th amendment, the 14th was not enforced. Had this amendment had been enforced, as citizens of the United States the most basic rights of black people should have been protected, like any other citizen. However, they were continually marginalized. If a crime was committed against them, the legal system turned a blind eye. If they were in need, no one would offer a helping hand. The government largely funded public white schools, whereas African Americans had to raise much of their own funding for their schools. Although they raised a large sum of money, it was still insufficient to educate the millions of newly freed children and adults (Franklin 250). These are just a few examples of the inequality experienced by blacks. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 explicitly states that African Americans do have citizenship “regardless of race

In their book A Patriot’s History of the United States, Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen seem to generally believe in the superiority of Europeans to the rest of the world. Schweikart and Allen go out of their way to note the superiority of European fighting patterns, the virtuous motivations of Christian explorers, the justification of genocide, and even the selflessness of the Founding Fathers. Though not completely inaccurate, the bias in favor of the colonists leaves many perspectives completely out of the picture.

Citizenship can be defined as the position or status of being a citizen in a particular country (Oxford Dictionaries, 2016). This definition is not very broad, nor does it cover the many aspects of citizenship that exist in the 21st century. It is not only about being a legal citizen of a particular country, it is also about being a social citizen. You can be a citizen of Australia but choose to live elsewhere for the majority of your life. In terms of citizenship it is relevant on a political and social level. If you are actively contributing to the country in which you live in some ways you are fulfilling your duties as a citizen.

Citizenship can be defined as individuals being a part of a society where they can vote, are counted as a citizen, and have privileges and rights within society. African Americans aren 't acknowledged by the states as citizens for many reasons. Whites considers African Americans who were slaves as their property. Since African Americans were classified in this way, whites have done anything in their power to hinder them from progressing.

Over a century ago, the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution was implemented to grant citizenship to individuals born within the country. This was the first time that it was defined what it means to be a citizen in the U.S. While the amendment was created to address the citizenship of slaves, it is currently under speculation in regards to granting U.S. citizenship to children born to undocumented immigrants (Gans, 2012). While there have been many arguments to place restrictions or eradicate granting children of undocumented immigrants U.S. citizenship, the constitutional right remains the same: if you are born on U.S. land, you are a citizen (Angelo, 2013). This paper argues that the birthright citizenship of U.S. born children of undocumented immigrants should continue to be granted based on the underlying principles of the 14th Amendment and the possible implications of ending birthright citizenship. First, this paper describes birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment, as well as its use in several Supreme Court cases that are significant to this issue. Then, various implications of eradicating birthright citizenship are discussed. Before discussing the possible consequences of eradicating birthright citizenship, it is imperative to discuss the history and principles underlying it.

While it might at first seem superfluous, one of the most important parts of the Fourteenth Amendment was that it provided a definition of who was a citizen of the United States. However, in the infamous Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Taney had held that, “A free negro of the African race… is not a ‘citizen’ within the meaning of the Constitution of the United States,” and thus, only whites were entitled to constitutional rights. The

“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America.” Without the right that the Constitution brings us, we wouldn’t have rights therefore the United States wouldn’t be a good place to live in. The Constitution brings us the right of freedom of speech (first amendment) , the right to bear arms (second amendment), and the right to protect against unreasonable government actions such as search and seizure of person property (fourth amendment). Being an American citizen means that you have rights that they would like you to fulfil. As an American citizen is it voluntary to vote, but others are required such as obeying the law and paying taxes. The Magna Carta, John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, and the Petition of Rights explains the rights and the responsibilities of an American citizen.

Citizenship is defined as a being a citizen or a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state. Citizen preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people. The concept of which in one of its earliest was given to us by the Romans, who had just began to understand the importance of a populace contributing to the decisions of its own fate. Modern American citizenship as we know it today was defined for us in the constitution of this nation by the founding fathers. Citizenship as they had envisioned it even back then was not free, but came with a price. A citizen was

The United States Constitution was heavily influenced by the Iroquois Confederacy’s political theory, though Eurocentric history lessons often teach about the French and Greek influence. In 1988, the House Concurrent Resolution 331 passed which recognized the Iroquois Confederacy’s contribution to the U.S. Constitution. Even after H.Con.Res 331 was passed, the Iroquois Confederacy’s influence continues to be disregarded, most people have to wait until specific classes in higher education to learn about the connection. With the whitewashing of history, many Native American influences have been overlooked that directly correlate to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, though the ‘Founding Fathers’ did revise the Iroquois’ political theory to better match the ‘freedom’ of the U.S.

In the U.S. Constitution by James Madison, it states “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state where they reside” (Doc. C). Amendment Fourteen unites Americans in the belief that people receive citizenships if they are born in the United States. The purpose is to make the natives of the United States citizens and live as a community. In Scott v Sanford Decision by Chief Justice Roger B Taney, it states “A free negro of the African race, whose ancestors were brought to this country and sold as slaves, is not a ‘citizen’ within the meaning of the Constitution of the United States” (Doc. D). The belief that only white people are citizens united Americans. Without denying Africans from citizenship, we wouldn’t have had slaves to build our nation as a

The critical development during Reconstruction was the attainment of citizenship for African-Americans. In 1858 the Supreme Court ruled in the Dred Scott decision that “persons of African descent imported into the United States and held as slaves, or their descendants—whether or not they were slaves—could never be citizens of the United States” [Hahn 2005: 106]. But it was apparent that the Dred Scott decision would eventually yield, as increasing numbers of slaves started to escape to Union lines during the Civil War, and after Lincoln delivered his Emancipation Proclamation speech. Since citizenship was defined and protected by state law during Reconstruction, American federalism would dictate the direction of the status of former slaves. In other words, one could not postulate the citizenship status of African-Americans until the relation between the former Confederate states and the nation as a whole was

After the Civil War, the United State began to experience an industrial growth that was unparalleled to any nation. There were new advancements among America’s transportation, manufacturing and agriculture industries. While an economic growth was occurring in the nation, the national government was inactive, almost forgotten between all the new innovations achieved during the late 19th century. Looking back at the Industrial Revolution, there are many perspectives of the events that occurred during this time. Two readings on the late 19th century, The Patriot’s History of the United States, by Larry Schweikart and The People’s History of the United States, by Howard Zinn, have their own takes. The perspectives on the history, the tone

(1) Why was the last half of the 1800s a time of conflict over the meanings of citizenship in relation to race, ethnicity, and gender?

American law addressed how people would become slaves: “…a slave inherited that status from the mother, served for a lifetime, was of African descent, and was chattel property able to be bought and sold independently of the land” (32, Horton and Horton). Over time, states amended or completely abolished these laws, but this was standard practice up until the Civil War. We can see a somewhat extension of this practice even after the Civil War, but it was just the opposite, the Grandfather Clause. In the wake of Reconstruction throughout the South, there was still an abundance of animosity to those of any other color than white, and the legislatures wished to keep the whites in power, and anyone else out. Poll taxes and literacy tests soon regulated voting throughout the South, but those who had grandfathers who could vote without poll taxes or literacy tests were exempts from such regulations. This curtailed most now free blacks from voting, and still allowed all white to vote. It was only until 1915 that “Grandfather Clauses” and regulated voting was found unconstitutional. What was not discussed

So what does citizenship means to me? Is it just a piece of paper that says you are a citizen of a country or does it mean something more in a deeper level. When I was just a little boy my mother always talks about that when we move to the United States we should apply for citizenship immediately. As I was growing up here in the United States I slowly understand what citizenship means to me. Being a citizen for me is fulfilling my obligations toward my country, Living a lifestyle that benefits myself and my community and having good sense of patriotism.