The Birthright: A History of Citizenship in America

Does the Fourteenth Amendment really guarantee citizenship to every child born in America?Are there limits to that guarantee?What was the rule for citizenship before the Amendment?In The Birthright, Bill Fortenberry guides us through the complexities of legal terminology to a simple and straightforward understanding of the law. The Birthright explains why American citizenship is guaranteed to every child born on American soil except the children of foreign diplomats.Fortenberry uses his characteristic reliance on original source material to trace the origins of birthright citizenship back to the founding of our nation. He uncovers forgotten historical documents to show that birthright citizenship was the primary defense that American sailors used against the press gangs of the British Navy.Birthright citizenship is one of the foundational tenets of Western civilization, and Fortenberry proves beyond a doubt that it has been a bedrock principle of American jurisprudence throughout our nation's history.Read more