Birthright citizenship is MUCH older than the 14th Amendment.
In this 1784 letter, a father in exile notes that his status should have no bearing on his newborn daughter. She was born outside the US, and therefore not a US citizen—an advantage for loyalists refugees hoping to return after the Rev.
In this 1784 letter, a father in exile notes that his status should have no bearing on his newborn daughter. She was born outside the US, and therefore not a US citizen—an advantage for loyalists refugees hoping to return after the Rev.
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I'm not an "originalist." But for those who are, it would be pretty hard to argue with Hamilton, who wrote to his friend in early 1802, "You, friend Morris, are by birth a native of this Country but by genius an exotic."
The letter writer, and others of the late 18th century, clearly recognized that being born on US soil made someone a citizen.