Minor v. Happersett
88 U.S. 162 Supreme Court 1875to … constitution and laws of the State of Missouri whichconfine the right of suffrage and r…refor to men, … States, and therefore void. The argumentis, … in the United States and subjectto … has the right of suffrage as one of the privileges and immunities of her...There is nodoubt that women may …They are persons, and … States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" are expresslydeclared … But, in our opinion, it did not need this amendment to give themthat … a member of the nation formed by the association. He owes it allegiance and is entitled to its protection. Allegiance and protection are, in this connection, reciprocal obligations....For convenience it has been found necessary to give a name to this membership. The object is to designate by a title the person and the relation he bears to the nation. For this purposethe words … description of one living under a republican government, it was adopted by nearly all of the States upon their separation from Great Britain, and was afterwards adopted in the Articles of Confederation and Inthe Constitution … States. Whenusedin this … it is necessary to ascertain what persons originally associated themselves togetherto form the nation,and what … itself we find that it was ordained and established by"the people of the United States," … back, we find that thesewerethe … bands which connected them with Great Britain, and assumeda … by Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, in which they took thename … of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretence whatever....Additions might always be made to the citizenship of the United States in two ways: first, by birth, and second, by naturalization. This is apparent from the Constitution itself,forit provides that … may be born or they may be created by naturalization. The Constitution does not, in words, say who shall be natural-born citizens. Resort must be had elsewhere to ascertain that. At common-law, with themenclature of which … Some authorities go further and include as citizens children born within the jurisdiction without reference to the citizenship of their parents. As to this class there have been doubts, but never as to the
