AFRI 164 AF -Birthright Citizenship in US His

What does it mean to be an American? This course examines how that fundamental question was answered in the aftermath of the Civil War and how that answer remains fiercely contested today. We will explore the principle of jus soli, birthright citizenship-the guarantee that anyone born on U.S. soil is a citizen-a concept enshrined in the 14th Amendment during the Reconstruction period after the war. Born from the struggle to secure racial and social equality and to define the place of emancipated slaves in American life, this constitutional cornerstone was transformative. It generated a second founding period, fundamentally changing the national and political character of the United States as a country. We will study the Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th) not as historical artifacts, but as the origin of ongoing political and legal battles over national identity, belonging, and racial justice that continue to resonate in modern debates over immigration and citizenship. Focusing on politics, culture, and race relations rather than military history, this course traces the nation’s unfinished quest to define itself. Through analysis of primary sources-from abolitionist writings to court decisions-students will understand how the past actively shapes our present, connecting the historical struggles over emancipation and citizenship to their enduring legacy in contemporary America.