Reconstructing First Principles: The Fourteenth Amendment and the Constitution

The 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship after the Civil War to Black men born in the U.S., specifically excluded Indigenous people. Although two-thirds of Native American men held U.S. citizenship prior to 1924 because of state laws, tribal agreements and land ownership, and through veteran status from serving in World War I, the law was unevenly applied and didn’t include everyone. The 1924 law was necessary and overdue. But the fight was not over. In the 100 years since the passage of th