Virginia Memory, Library of Virginia
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YOU HAVE NO RIGHT: LAW AND JUSTICE - CITIZENSHIP

What are the rights of a citizen?

From 1776 to 1868 each state decided who was a citizen and what rights citizens and non-citizens had. The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1868 defined citizenship, but it did not outline the rights of citizenship.

"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. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."—Fourteenth Amendment, 1868

Do you know your rights? Read the following list and check the boxes beside the rights you think are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Click "Submit" to check your answers.