Before the Civil War, colonization schemes and Black Laws threatened to deport the formerly enslaved born in the United States. Birthright Citizens recovers the story of how African American activists remade national belonging through battles in legislatures, conventions, and courthouses. They faced formidable opposition, most notoriously from the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott.
Still, Martha S. Jones explains, no single case defined their status. The formerly enslaved studied law, secured allies, and conducted themselves like citizens, establishing their status through local, everyday claims. All along they argued that birth guaranteed their rights. With fresh archival sources and an ambitious reframing of constitutional law-making before the Civil War, Jones shows how the 14th Amendment constitutionalized the birthright principle, and Black Americans’ aspirations were realized. [Adapted from publishers’ description.]
ISBN: 9781316604724 | Cambridge University Press
Below, watch an interview with historian Martha S. Jones on Democracy Now!, where she discusses how African Americans fought for and won birthright citizenship 150 years fefore Trump tried to end it.
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