The
American Revolution (1775 – 1783) and the adoption of our U.S.
Constitution (1776) established the precedent and legal right to U.S.
Citizenship, exclusively to existing citizens and their descendants.
In 1866, The Civil Rights Act acknowledged Citizenship for Emancipated Slaves.
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 states that: "...all citizens would have the same right to full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of person and property, as is enjoyed by white citizens, and shall be subject to like punishment, pains, and penalties, and to none other, any law...
There were no exceptions or exclusions in the Act: Therefore, “all citizens” specifically Lincoln’s Emancipated Slaves, enjoyed the “same right and equal benefit of all laws...” as white citizens, which entitled emancipated slaves to the full and equal benefit of citizenship.
Lest we forget that Black men joined the Colonishts fight for freedom in the American Revolution.
Civil War Amendments 1865, 1868 and 1870
U.S. Citizenship for emancipated slaves was further confirmed and enforced in the collection of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution ratified in 1865, 1868 and 1870 respectively.
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution declared that: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are guaranteed privileges and immunities, life, liberty, property and equal protection of the laws.
Person refers exclusively to U.S. Citizens and their descendants aka “our posterity.”
The 15th Amendment, which sought to protect the voting rights of African American men after the Civil War, states: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
* Shall not be abridged means that no one who is not a citizen shall be entitled to citizenship whereas that would deny, dilute or weaken the value of and exclusive citizenship to U.S. citizens.
These three amendments passed during the Reconstruction era meant to collectively and exclusively abolish slavery and establish civil and legal rights for Black Americans -- including the rights to U.S. Citizenship and Vote.///