Key Terms
Birthright Citizenship: Birthright citizenship is the idea that anyone born in a certain country automatically becomes a citizen of that country. In the United States, this means that if a baby is born on U.S. soil, they are considered a U.S. citizen, no matter where their parents are from.
14th Amendment to the Constitution: The 14th Amendment is part of the United States Constitution and was added after the Civil War. It says that if you are born or naturalized (which means if someone becomes a citizen after being born somewhere else) in the United States, you have the right to be a citizen. It also says that every person should be treated equally by the law. This amendment helps protect the rights of all citizens.