Who Gets to Be American? The Hidden History of U.S. Citizenship

Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Anna O. Law to explore the tangled history of migration, citizenship, and federal power in early America. From colonial-era immigration policies to the Reconstruction Amendments, Dr. Law reveals how slavery, state competition, and the fight over who belongs shaped the nation’s immigration system—and why the federal government didn’t take control until surprisingly late.Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemediaCHAPTERS:0:00 - Introductions1:27 - The 16-Year Journey to Writing the Book5:52 - From Migration to Citizenship: How the Book Evolved7:57 - The Evolution of Citizenship in Early America10:19 - State vs. Federal Citizenship: The Murky Legal Landscape12:16 - Colonial-Era Migration: A Crazy Quilt of State Laws17:19 - Migration vs. Immigration: An Important Distinction19:14 - The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution24:16 - State Police Powers and Migration Control25:28 - The Alien and Sedition Acts: Slavery’s Hidden Influence29:18 - Native Americans and Migration Recruitment33:50 - The Chinese Exclusion Act38:10 - The Federal Takeover of Immigration44:16 - Freedom of Mobility and the Right to Remain47:34 - Surprising Supreme Court Cases53:04 - Sovereign Citizens and Historical Misinterpretation54:18 - The 14th Amendment and Birthright Citizenship Today58:22 - Wrapping UpEPISODE LINKS:Dr. Anna O. Law: https://www.brooklyn.edu/faculty-staff/anna-o-law/Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/migration-and-the-origins-of-american-citizenship-9780197660096CUNY Brooklyn College – Political Science: https://www.brooklyn.edu/political-science/Articles of Confederation: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/articles-of-confederation Privileges and Immunities Clause: https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIV-S2-C1-1/ALDE_00013777/Naturalization Clause: https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C4-1-1/ALDE_00013160/Alien and Sedition Acts (1798): https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/alien-and-sedition-actsAlien Enemies Act: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/alien-enemies-act-explainedChinese Exclusion Act (1882): https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/chinese-exclusion-actPuck Magazine – Anti-Chinese Political Cartoons: https://thomasnastcartoons.com/tag/statue-of-liberty/13th Amendment: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/13th-amendment14th Amendment – Birthright Citizenship: https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-xivReconstruction Amendments: https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/intro.6-4/ALDE_00000388/Mayor of New York v. Miln (1837): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/36us102The Passenger Cases (1849): https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/48/283/Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857): https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/dred-scott-v-sandfordGerald Neuman – “The Lost Century of American Immigration Law”: https://fedsoc.org/commentary/fedsoc-blog/the-lost-century-of-american-immigration-lawKevin Kenny – The Problem of Immigration in a Slaveholding Republic: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-problem-of-immigration-in-a-slaveholding-republic-9780197580080Gregory Ablavsky (Amicus Brief on Birthright Citizenship): https://law.stanford.edu/gregory-ablavsky/Bethany Berger (Amicus Brief on Birthright Citizenship): https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2610859Trump v. CASA (Birthright Citizenship Case): https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a884_8n59.pdfSovereign Citizens Movement: https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/sovereign-citizens-movement/