Which of the following explains how citizenship was expanded to Black people?(1 point)
A. Congress passed the Naturalization Act of 1790.
B. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment.
C. The Founders placed the Diversity of Jurisdiction Clause in the Constitution.
D. The Supreme Court issued the Dred Scott ruling.
B. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment.
To determine which option explains how citizenship was expanded to Black people, let's analyze each choice:
A. Congress passed the Naturalization Act of 1790.
The Naturalization Act of 1790, although laying out rules for granting citizenship to immigrants, did not specifically address or expand citizenship to Black people within the United States. Therefore, option A is not the correct answer.
B. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, is the correct answer. This amendment grants citizenship to all individuals born or naturalized in the United States, regardless of their race or ethnicity. It aimed to protect the rights of newly freed slaves after the Civil War, ensuring that they were recognized as citizens with equal protection under the law.
C. The Founders placed the Diversity of Jurisdiction Clause in the Constitution.
The Diversity of Jurisdiction Clause does not directly relate to the expansion of citizenship for Black people. It pertains to legal cases involving parties from different states or countries. Therefore, option C is not the correct answer.
D. The Supreme Court issued the Dred Scott ruling.
The Dred Scott ruling, issued by the Supreme Court in 1857, actually had the opposite effect. The court held that Black individuals, both enslaved and free, could not be U.S. citizens. This ruling further perpetuated the systemic exclusion of Black people from citizenship rights.
So, to summarize, the correct answer is B. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment, as it expanded citizenship to Black people through its language guaranteeing birthright citizenship.
The correct answer is:
B. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to everyone born or naturalized in the United States, including Black people. This amendment played a crucial role in expanding citizenship rights to Black people.