Birthright citizenship in the U.S. is generally traced to the 14th Amendment , ratified in 1868 , which says that people born in the United States are citizens if they are subject to U.S. jurisdiction.

A later Supreme Court case, United States v. Wong Kim Ark in 1898 , firmly confirmed that this rule applies broadly to people born on U.S. soil.

Quick timeline

  • 1866: The Civil Rights Act first defined citizenship in a way that supported birthright citizenship.
  • 1868: The 14th Amendment was ratified and became the constitutional basis for birthright citizenship.
  • 1898: The Supreme Court reinforced that understanding in Wong Kim Ark.

In plain English

The modern U.S. rule did not begin with a single court case; it was codified in 1868 and then confirmed in 1898.

If you want, I can also explain the difference between the 1866 law, the 14th Amendment, and the 1898 case in one simple chart.