Which of the following explains how citizenship was expanded to Black people?
A. The Supreme Court issued the Dred Scott ruling.
B. The Founders placed the Diversity of Jurisdiction Clause in the Constitution.
C. Congress passed the Naturalization Act of 1790.
D. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment.
D. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment.
The correct answer is D. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment.
The correct answer is D. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment.
To get to the answer, let's break down the given options and explain the reasoning behind each one:
A. The Supreme Court issued the Dred Scott ruling:
The Dred Scott ruling, issued by the Supreme Court in 1857, actually had the opposite effect of expanding citizenship to Black people. The ruling declared that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be considered citizens and therefore did not have the rights and privileges of citizenship.
B. The Founders placed the Diversity of Jurisdiction Clause in the Constitution:
This is not directly related to expanding citizenship to Black people. The Diversity of Jurisdiction Clause in the Constitution refers to a provision that allows for lawsuits between citizens of different states to be heard in federal courts. It does not address citizenship rights for any specific group.
C. Congress passed the Naturalization Act of 1790:
While the Naturalization Act of 1790 was one of the earliest federal laws related to citizenship, it did not actually expand citizenship to Black people. The Act allowed only "free white persons" to become naturalized citizens, excluding people of African descent.
D. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment:
This is the correct answer. The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, played a significant role in expanding citizenship to Black people. It explicitly states that "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." This amendment granted citizenship to African Americans, overturning the previous Dred Scott ruling.
In summary, Option D is the correct answer as Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment, which expanded citizenship to Black people by providing them with equal rights and protections under the law.