Birthright citizenship in the United States

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/birthright-citizenship-in-the-united-states

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Where is Birthright citizenship in the United States?North American continent, comprising 50 states, a federal district, and several territories
2. How many people live in Birthright citizenship in the United States?Approximately 331.9 million (as of 2021)
3. What is the capital of Birthright citizenship in the United States?Washington, D.C
4. What is the founding document for citizenship?The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (ratified July 9, 1868)
5. What is birthright citizenship?Birthright citizenship means that if you are born in the United States, you automatically become a U.S. citizen. This rule is written in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.
6. Why was the 14th Amendment created?After the Civil War, the 14th Amendment was made to give citizenship to freed slaves and to say that anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen, no matter their parents' background.

Jus Soli: The legal principle that grants citizenship to individuals born within the territory of a country.
Jus Sanguinis: The legal principle that grants citizenship based on the nationality of one or both parents.
Fourteenth Amendment: A landmark amendment to the U.S. Constitution that defines U.S. citizenship and guarantees equal protection under the law.
Dred Scott v. Sandford: An 1857 Supreme Court decision that denied citizenship to African Americans and fueled the Civil War.