The United States offers two primary paths to citizenship: birthright citizenship and naturalization. Understanding the nuances of each is crucial for both citizens and immigrants. The original Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, included the Three-Fifths Clause, which counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person. The ruling of the Dred Scott case in 1857 declared that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be citizens of the United States. Although the Dred Scott decision was never formally overturned by a Supreme Court, its ruling was nullified by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. Birthright Citizenship There are primarily two types of birthright citizenship: Jus Soli: This Latin term, meaning "right of soil," grants citizenship to anyone born within the territory of a country, regardless of their parent's citizenship status. Jus Sanguinis: This Latin term, meaning "right of blood," grants citizenship to a child based on th...