Multiple Choice Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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When the United States first became a
nation, the concept of citizenship was not an issue of national concern. Indeed, the Constitution,
including the first ten amendments, does not define citizenship. The framers of the Constitution left
it up to state governments, rather than the national government, to decide who was a citizen. Any
citizen of a state was automatically assumed to be a citizen of the United States, at least in the
minds of the framers. Today, citizenship is decided by the national
government. | ![nar001-1.jpg](citizenship_1_files/nar001-1.jpg) Dred Scott | Dred Scott Case
The issue of state
versus national citizenship became critical in a famous Supreme Court ;case, Dred Scott v.
Sandford (1857). A slave named Dred Scott had been moved by his owner to Illinois, where slavery
was illegal under state law. Dred Scott sued in court for his freedom. The Supreme Court, which at
that time was dominated by southern judges, ruled that Scott could not be a citizen of the United
States. He was a slave, and therefore he had no right to sue in court at all. The Supreme Court
applied this ruling to Scott while he was in Illinois even though slavery was illegal there and
African Americans had long been considered citizens in that state (as well as in most other northern
states).
| The reasoning of the Court was that at the time the
Constitution was adopted, African Americans were not recognized as citizens of the states. It did not
matter whether they were slaves or free. According to the logic of the Court, the only individuals
who were U.S. citizens were those who were directly descended either from persons who were state
citizens in 1787 or from immigrants who became citizens through legal means. Slaves, who fell
into neither of these categories, were therefore not citizens.
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1.
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Which article of the
Constitution defined citizenship in 1800?
a. | Article
4 | c. | Article
6 | b. | Article
5 | d. | there was no definition of citizenship in
1800 |
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2.
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A person crosses into the
United States illegally. The state of California has the authority to declare that person a
citizen.
a. | true | c. | there is no way to tell | b. | false |
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3.
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Why did Dred Scott sue in
court?
a. | He sued for his freedom because he
was living in a “free” state | c. | He claimed that slave owners did not have the right to transport slaves across
state lines. | b. | He sued for his freedom because he claimed that “slave” states had
no right to deny him his freedom | d. | He claimed that slavery was unconstitutional under the 13th Amendment to the
Constitution |
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4.
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According to the states in
1857, what was the citizenship status of slaves?
a. | The states did not consider slaves
to be citizens but the U.S. government did | c. | The northern states considered slaves to be citizens but the south did
not | b. | All of the states considered slaves to be citizens but the U.S. government did
not | d. | The southern states considered slaves to be citizens
because they wanted them to be counted for representation in congress.
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5.
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What did the Supreme Court rule
in the Dred Scott case?
a. | Dred Scott could sue in federal
court but that did not change his status as a slave | c. | Dred Scott could not sue in court because he was not a citizen but that did
not change the fact that he was free because he was living in a free
state | b. | Dred Scott was free because he was residing in a free
state | d. | Dred Scott did not have the right to sue in court because
he was not a citizen. |
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The Thirteenth and Fourteenth
Amendments
Many individuals in the northern states did not agree with the Dred Scott
decision. Some historians believe that the ruling in that case was one of the major causes of the
Civil War. The Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, was passed at the close of the Civil
War in 1865. But in passing this amendment, the nation was faced with the need to define who
was a citizen. This question was finally answered in 1868 with the Fourteenth Amendment, which
begins with the following words:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and
subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they
reside.
In essence, the Fourteenth Amendment reversed the Dred Scott decision by
making state citizenship an automatic result of national citizenship. The Fourteenth Amendment
created the two most common ways to become an American citizen: (1) by birth anywhere on land
considered American soil and (2) by the legal process called naturalization. There is a third
way as well-by being born of a parent who is a citizen of the United
States
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6.
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Which amendment abolished
slavery?
a. | the Bill of
Rights | c. | 14th | b. | 13th | d. | Lincoln’s Emancipation
Proclamation |
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7.
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What did the 14th Amendment say
about citizenship?
a. | If you are born in any state you are
a citizen. | c. | The 14th Amendment
did not address the issue of citizenship | b. | If you are born in any state you may apply for
citizenship | d. | It abolished slavery and therefore
made all of the slaves citizens |
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8.
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The 14th Amendment says that if
you are born on U.S. soil you are
a. | a naturalized
citizen | c. | not necessarily a
citizen | b. | a natural citizen | d. | a citizen if one of your parents were a
citizen |
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Citizenship by Birth
Most
Americans are citizens simply because they were born in the United States. There are, however, a
number of other ways to acquire U.S. citizenship.
Location of Birth-Jus Soli The Fourteenth
Amendment states that all persons born in the United States are American citizens. This is called
citizenship by location. In legal terms, it is called citizenship by jus soli. Jus soli is a
Latin phrase that translates as "the law of the soil."
What is considered
American soil? Today, the United States includes not only the fifty states but also the District of
Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
Additionally, American embassies in foreign countries and any ship or aircraft operated by agencies
of the U.S. government are considered U.S. soil. Individuals who are born in the United States but
are not subject to the jurisdiction, or control, of the U.S. government are not considered to be born
on U.S. soil. These individuals are usually children born to foreign diplomats stationed in the
United States.
Significantly, at the time the Fourteenth Amendment was passed, Native
Americans-who were considered wards, or persons under the legal guardianship, of the U.S.
government-were not granted citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment. In 1924, Congress remedied
this situation by passing the Citizenship Act, which granted citizenship to all Native Americans who
did not already possess it.
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9.
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What does jus soli say about
citizenship?
a. | You are a citizen if one of your
parents was a citizen | c. | If you were born
in the U.S. you are a citizen because you were born on the soil of the
U.S. | b. | You are not a citizen just because you were born in the
U.S. | d. | Everyone, except former slaves, are
citizens |
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10.
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You are a citizen of Guam. You
claim that you do not have to pay American taxes because you are not a citizen of the U.S.. Are you
right?
a. | yes, only U.S. citizens have to pay
U.S. taxes | c. | no, because people
in Guam can apply for citizenship but are not automatically
citizens | b. | yes, Guam is a territory and not a state | d. | no, people born in Guam are U.S. citizens by
jus-soli |
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11.
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Your mother and father are
citizens of Mexico and not U.S. citizens. Your father is the Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. and you
are born in the U.S. while you father is on duty here. Are you a citizen of the
U.S.?
a. | yes | c. | you are a citizen of the U.S. only if you agree to give up
your Mexican citizenship. | b. | no | d. | there is no way to
tell |
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12.
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Which of the following peoples
are U.S. citizens
a. | people born in
Guam | d. | American
Indians | b. | People born in Puerto Rico | e. | all of these groups are citizens by jus soli | c. | people born in the Virgin
Islands |
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Law of the Blood-Jus Sanguinis
Since 1790,
Congress has included the so-called "law of the blood,"
or jus sanguinis, as grounds for American citizenship. Under this law, a child
born on foreign soil becomes an American citizen at birth if at least one of the parents is a U.S.
citizen. In addition, that U.S. citizen must have lived in the United States (or in an American
possession) for at least ten years, five of them after the age of fourteen.
Unlike many
other countries, the United States offers citizenship to people born in foreign lands. Upon meeting
the requirements, immigrants are granted a certificate of citizenship in ceremonies held throughout
the U.S., in places such as Ellis Island, New York. Why is Ellis Island an appropriate location for a
citizenship ceremony?
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13.
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Your mother and father
immigrate to the United States from Russia. They apply for and become naturalized citizens. After
living in the U.S. for five years, they return to Russia to work. While there you are born. Are you a
citizen of the U.S.?
a. | You are a naturalized
citizen | c. | You are not a
citizen | b. | You are a citizen by jus soli | d. | You are a citizen by jus
sanquinis |
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Citizenship by
Choice-Naturalization
The U.S. Constitution, in Article I, Section 8, declares that
Congress shall have the power to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization."
Naturalization is the process by which individuals who are not yet U.S. citizens become citizens.
These individuals are then called naturalized citizens. Naturalization can occur in three
ways: (1) by act of Congress, (2) by treaty, and (3) by individual action.
By Act of Congress
On rare occasions, Congress has passed laws naturalizing entire groups of people. As already
mentioned, this was done in 1924 with respect to Native Americans who were not yet citizens. Before
that, inhabitants of Hawaii and Puerto Rico were granted citizenship by Congress in 1900 and 1917,
respectively. The same thing occurred for residents of the Virgin Islands (1927), Guam (1950), and
the Northern Marianas (1977). We have already mentioned the collective naturalization of African
Americans and others by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1868.
By
Acquisition of Territory Large groups of people have also been naturalized when the United States
has acquired new territory. Those living in the areas involved were naturalized by a treaty or by an
act of Congress. For example, when the Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed in 1803, the United
States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France. That treaty said that people living in the
territory became U.S. citizens. The same provision was made in the treaties in which the United
States acquired Florida (1819) and Alaska (1867). Additionally, an act of Congress gave citizenship
to all inhabitants of Texas in 1845.
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14.
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Which is not a way that a person can become a U.S.
citizen?
a. | by treaty with a foreign
country | c. | by a Presidential
declaration | b. | by an act of Congress | d. | by action of an individual
person |
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15.
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When a person becomes a citizen
by individual action it is called
a. | jus
soli | c. | naturalization | b. | natural | d. | equal protection (14th
Amendment) |
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16.
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How did American Indians become
citizens of the U.S.?
a. | by jus
sanguinas | c. | by Congressional
Action | b. | by Presidential Action | d. | by treaty |
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17.
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When the United States bought
Alaska from Russia, the people living in Alaska became U.S. citizens by
a. | treaty | c. | Presidential action | b. | naturalization | d. | Congressional action |
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18.
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Article I, Section 8 of the
U.S. constitution gives _____ the power to establish rules for naturalization.
a. | the
President | c. | the
Congress | b. | the Supreme Court | d. | the states |
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By Individual Action Today,
Naturalization most often occurs through individual action. Every year, hundreds of
thousands of people apply for citizenship in the United States. Candidates for naturalization must
have the following qualifications:
They must be eighteen years of age or older (except minors
who become citizens when their parents are naturalized).
They must have entered the United
States legally and have lived in the United States for at least five years.
They must
demonstrate an understanding of basic English words and phrases.
They must be able to prove,
if necessary, their high moral character.
They must understand the basic concepts of American
government and history.
They must not have advocated the overthrow of the U.S. government by
force or violence within the past ten years.
They must not have belonged to any subversive
organization within the past ten years. They must not be draft evaders, military deserters,
anarchists, or polygamists. (A polygamist is a person with more than one spouse.)
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19.
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Illegal aliens have the right
to apply for citizenship
a. | true | c. | only if they are born in the United
States | b. | false | d. | there is no way to
know |
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20.
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A Columbian drug lord wants to
enter the United States and apply for citizenship because the Columbia government want to put him in
jail. Does he have a right to apply for citizenship.
a. | yes under all
conditions | c. | yes because we do
not recognize the drug laws of Columbia | b. | no | d. | there is no way to
tell |
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21.
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In 1919 Attorney General Palmer
went after people such as Communists and Anarchists who wanted to overthrow the government of the
U.S. (Palmer Raids) The Communists and Anarchists could escape deportation if they applied for and
became naturalized citizens. The government could not prevent them from becoming citizens because of the 14th
Amendment.
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22.
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People who apply for
citizenship must speak fluent English and be able to write English compositions.
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23.
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A man, a woman and their
children come to the United States. The mother and father become naturalized citizens. What is the
status of their children?
a. | they must apply for citizenship when
they become 16 | c. | they automatically
become citizens when their parents become naturalized | b. | they can become citizens only after they prove that they
can read and write simple English. | d. | they must apply for citizenship when they become
18 |
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How Citizenship Can Be
Lost
Expatriation The word expatriation is made up of the prefix ex-, meaning
"from," and the Latin word )atria, which means "native country, or fatherland."
To expatriate someone is to banish that person from his or her native country. An individual can
voluntarily become an expatriate by becoming a naturalized citizen of another country or by
renouncing American citizenship to a representative of the U.S. government. Once renounced,
citizenship cannot easily be regained.
Punishment for a Crime The federal government can take
away citizenship if a person is convicted of treason, of inciting rebellion, or of conspiring to
overthrow the government by violent means.
Denaturalization In rare (expatriation) was
cases, a naturalized citizen may lose his or her citizenship through a process called
denaturalization. Denaturalization occurs if the federal government learns that a naturalized citizen
obtained his or her citizenship through fraudulent means.
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24.
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During the Korean War some
American soldiers expatriated to Communist China. What was their status as citizens of the United
States?
a. | they were still citizens because
they were in the military service when they expatriated | c. | expatriation has no effect on citizenship
status | b. | they were still citizen regardless of their military
status | d. | they were no longer U.S.
citizens |
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25.
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Once a person is an American
citizen that person is a citizen for life and can not change his or her citizenship
status
a. | true | c. | there is no way to tell | b. | false |
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