America started doing so at the end of the civil war. The constitution was amended then to overturn the Dred Scott decision of 1857, which held that black people were not Americans. The 14th Amendment ensured that freed slaves and their children would henceforth be citizens.

President Trump has signed an executive order to effectively end birthright citizenship. Here's what it means, and how the 14th Amendment is related.

The 14th Amendment overturned the 1857 decision that denied citizenship to Black people. Scholars say President Trump’s proposal betrays that history.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said since his first administration that he wants to end birthright citizenship, a constitutional right for everyone born in the United States.