Which amendment defines citizenship for people born or naturalized in the United States?

• A. Thirteenth Amendment
• B. Seventeenth Amendment
• C. Fourteenth Amendment
• D. Nineteenth Amendment

Answer: (C)

Defining citizenship by birth or naturalization is what this question is getting at. The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified during Reconstruction, states that anyone born in the United States or naturalized is a citizen of the United States and of the state where they live. This settled who counts as a citizen and extended protections to those newly defined citizens. It also ensures equal protection under the law and due process, laying the groundwork for civil rights.

The other amendments address different issues: one ended slavery, another changed how senators were chosen, and the last secured voting rights for women. While those are important, the specific definition of who is a citizen born or naturalized in the U.S. comes from the Fourteenth Amendment.