Who wants to be an

American Citizen?
Citizenship In the United States

An example of the basics of the Constitution being applied

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4: “Congress shall have power”
“To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization”
 Timeline of Citizenship

1789 to 1857: Native Americans were not citizens; they were

“conquered foreigners”.
Slaves were citizens in bondage in those states that allowed
slavery.
 States in general defined specific citizens’ rights, including
restrictions on former slaves…
1803: Residents of Louisiana territories become US citizens
1845: Residents of Texas become US citizens
 Timeline of Citizenship

 1846: Residents of the former parts of Mexico become US citizens

 1857: Dred Scott versus Sanford = Slaves were not citizens if escaping to
free territories.
 1868: 14th Amendment = All citizens of the US. No state can deprive a
citizen of due process or equal protection. Many modern uses began in
the 1930’s.
 1870: 15th Amendment = Citizens’ rights to vote not denied due to race,
color, prior servitude
Timeline of Citizenship

1920: 19th Amendment = Women given male’s citizens’ right

to vote
1924: Native Americans were made citizens by an act of
Congress
1961: 23rd Amendment = Residents of D.C. given citizen’s
right to vote in presidential elections
1971: 26th Amendment = Citizens between 18 and 20 given
the right to vote
4 Types of US Citizenship

1. Jus Soli Citizenship – Native Born Citizen

2. Jus Sanguinis Citizens – Acquired
Citizen
3. Naturalized Citizens
4. Derived Citizens
Jul Soli Citizens

Citizenship status is automatic upon birth if…

Birth is in the US states or the District of Columbia
Birth is in the US territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern
Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico, Wake Island, US Virgin Islands
Birth is inside a US embassy compound in other countries
Birth is to a US embassy diplomat while on duty overseas
Birth is on a US registered ship or airplane while in transit in
international waters or airspaces
Exceptions to Jus Soli Citizenship

Exceptions to births in the US that aren’t given Jus Solis

Birth is to a foreign prisoner of war during a declared war

(POW moms?)
Birth is to a foreign diplomat serving in the US. They don’t
live “here”.
 Jus Sanguinis Citizens

Married US citizens are living overseas or travelling overseas and baby arrives outside of the
US: Baby holds full citizenship if 1 parent lived in the US prior to the birth of the baby.

Married parents have a child outside the US but only 1 is a US citizen: The citizen parent
must have lived in the US for at least 5 years prior to baby and 2 of the years must be after
the parent turned 14.

Un-married parents have a child born outside of the US: (There is a long list of specific
requirements for such claims.)
Orphans from overseas can become citizens under some special adoption circumstances
 Naturalized Citizens
Be a legal resident alien for a set period of time. This is usually 5 years.

Show a history of non-criminal behaviors. This can be appealed to a federal

court.
Be over 18 in age.

Show literacy in English as requested by the federal judge.

Show proficiency in US government and US history as requested by the federal

judge.
Pass a citizenship exam if requested by the federal judge.

Complete an oath of citizenship and allegiance to the US.

 Derived Citizens

Be a child under the age of 18.

Be a legal resident of the US with a parent who has just

been naturalized and automatically receive citizenship.
 Individually Granted Citizenship

 Citizenship can be individually created by acts of Congress as a national

honor
The Marquis de Lafayette who helped with the Revolution
Winston Churchill who helped keep the UK from being defeated
in WWII
Raoul Wallenberg who helped rescue many Jews during WWII
as a Swedish diplomat. He later was arrested by the Russians
and taken to a Gulag. The US made him a citizen to help try to
rescue him after his story became famous. He was not found
alive.
 Dual Citizenship

The rules are complex but, in general, the US does not care
legally if people claim to hold dual citizenships when they
become US citizenship. An example: Mexico allows Mexican
citizens to keep their citizenship if they later become US citizens.
The US DOES care if an adult, US citizen voluntarily becomes a
citizen of another country, swears allegiance to another nation
by joining their military, etc.
If a person claims dual citizenship and has business in a US court
there may be legal problems.
 Lose US Citizenship

As an adult, declare citizenship of another country and

volunteer to end your US citizenship

Be a citizen of the US and commit treason and be stripped of

your citizenship as part of the court’s penalty

Gain naturalized citizenship of the US under a false identity or

under other acts of fraud
Join the military of an enemy state during a declared war