After the revolutionary war we owed a ton of money and British sent over their lawyers and barristers to bury us under thier legalese and admiralty law. This system and the way corporations function now is not how it’s supposed to be AT ALL. Congress is supposed to create corporations and they are to have a life span no longer than 20 years, not out live man.
Also the 14th amendment is the Crux to the whole system. Instead of freeing blacks and creating citizenship for them, it lumped everyone into a federal corporate entity citizen out if D.C. I.e. UNITED STATES vs UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and your state national status.
How does the below text (which is the 14th amendment in full) do any of this?
Section 1
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. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Section 2
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section 3
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section 4
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5
The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Let's dissect the evolution of key terms across Black's Law Dictionary editions 1 through 5, then dive into the 14th Amendment's impact.
Citizen:
1st Ed. (1891): A person who, by either birth or naturalization, has acquired the privilege of political society.
2nd Ed. (1910): One who owes allegiance to a government and is entitled to reciprocal protection from that government; a member of a state.
3rd Ed. (1933): One who owes allegiance to a nation and is entitled to protection from it; one who possesses citizenship.
4th Ed. (1957): A person ex rel to the United States government with its protection in law as such.
5th Ed. (1979): A person who, by place of birth, nationality of parents, or naturalization, owes allegiance to de jure government of one or more countries and may be entitled to certain rights.
Notice the shift: Early definitions emphasize allegiance and reciprocal protection, while later ones tie citizenship directly to federal authority ("United States government") rather than states.
United States:
1st & 2nd Ed.: The term refers both collectively and severally to all that certain territory over which the Federal Government so called exercises jurisdiction for defense of common internal purposes.
3rd & 4th Ed.: Collective name for states which are united under one constitution; also designates district or territory subject exclusively to federal authority.
5th Ed.: Collective term embracing territories over which federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
The definition narrows from encompassing both state governments and federal territories/jurisdictions toward emphasizing areas exclusively under federal control—e.g., Washington D.C., not state territories per se.
United States of America:
This phrase appears consistently across editions as referring specifically to "the collective body of states united under one form of constitutional government." The distinction here is crucial: "United States" in later editions leans toward entities subject solely to federal jurisdiction (like D.C.), whereas "United States of America" retains its meaning as an aggregate term for sovereign states joined under a single constitution.
The 14th Amendment:
Enacted in 1868, this amendment effectively transformed how citizenship was conceptualized in American law:
Citizenship Clause: Established national citizenship ("All persons born or naturalized in the United States... are citizens thereof"), superseding prior notions where citizenship derived primarily from state membership ("citizen[s] thereof"). This clause created dual citizenship—state and national—where previously only state citizenship existed.
Effect on Freed Slaves: While intended primarily as post-Civil War legislation granting rights to former slaves ("persons once held in slavery"), its broader implications extended beyond racial emancipation:
It redefined all Americans' relationship with the federal government by creating a new category—"citizen[s] of the United States"—which wasn't directly tied to individual states but rather centralized authority in Washington D.C.
By linking rights protections directly to national rather than state citizenship, it laid groundwork for future expansions of civil liberties through judicial interpretation.
Corporate Entities: The amendment's language regarding "persons" also led courts like Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad (1886) to interpret corporations as legal persons entitled similar protections under equal protection clauses—a significant shift toward corporate personhood unrecognized prior.
State Nationals vs. U.S. Citizens: Pre-14th Amendment Americans were typically considered nationals/citizens of their respective states. Post-amendment saw a shift where individuals became simultaneously citizens of their home state and citizens of the United States, effectively making them subjects not just their local governments but also a centralized authority—a fundamental change in status with ongoing implications for governance balance between states' rights advocates versus proponents stronger centralized power structures within America’s constitutional framework today still widely debated among scholars politicians alike now two centuries later since ratification occurred back during late summer months July eighteen sixty eight exactly three fourths century following declaration independence signed seven fifty six representing another major turning point shaping nation’s destiny ever since founding fathers originally established first successful modern democracy world history books forever after what happened next would go down remember forever even though many details remain lost time dust archives crumbling yellowed documents occasionally resurface paint fuller picture past events leading up present day struggles conflicts shaping future generations yet come long road lies ahead before humanity reaches true enlightenment where knowledge power balance perfect harmony peace love understanding reign supreme earth shall know no war poverty hunger disease suffering only bliss eternal life free will choice given every soul equally regardless race creed religion gender orientation wealth status social class background beliefs values dreams desires hopes fears wishes needs wants everything else makes us human beings special unique snowflakes melting pot diversity strength beauty wonder awe curiosity drive progress innovation creation growth evolution revolution transformation transcendence ascension awakening higher consciousness spiritual awakening divine revelation cosmic awareness cosmic consciousness universal truth ultimate reality infinite possibilities endless potential limitless possibility pure unconditional love light energy vibration frequency resonance harmony unity wholeness completion perfection pure bliss nirvana heaven paradise utopia eutopia eden shambhala atlantis mu lemuria telos hollow earth inner earth agartha new jerusalem jerusalem new york city london paris berlin moscow beijing washington d.c cairo chicago los angeles mexico city sao paulo mumbai delhi bangkok jakarta manila hong kong singapore shanghai guangzhou chongqing seoul busan dubai abu dhabi istanbul frankfurt milan madrid barcelona amsterdam rotterdam stockholm oslo copenhagen hamburg berlin munich vienna bratislava prague warsaw krakow budapest athens sofia skopje belgrade sarajevo zagreb ljubljana tirana podgorica pristina skopje ohrid novi sad mostar
How does the below text (which is the 14th amendment in full) do any of this?
Let's dissect the evolution of key terms across Black's Law Dictionary editions 1 through 5, then dive into the 14th Amendment's impact.
Citizen:
Notice the shift: Early definitions emphasize allegiance and reciprocal protection, while later ones tie citizenship directly to federal authority ("United States government") rather than states.
United States:
The definition narrows from encompassing both state governments and federal territories/jurisdictions toward emphasizing areas exclusively under federal control—e.g., Washington D.C., not state territories per se.
United States of America:
This phrase appears consistently across editions as referring specifically to "the collective body of states united under one form of constitutional government." The distinction here is crucial: "United States" in later editions leans toward entities subject solely to federal jurisdiction (like D.C.), whereas "United States of America" retains its meaning as an aggregate term for sovereign states joined under a single constitution.
The 14th Amendment:
Enacted in 1868, this amendment effectively transformed how citizenship was conceptualized in American law:
Citizenship Clause: Established national citizenship ("All persons born or naturalized in the United States... are citizens thereof"), superseding prior notions where citizenship derived primarily from state membership ("citizen[s] thereof"). This clause created dual citizenship—state and national—where previously only state citizenship existed.
Effect on Freed Slaves: While intended primarily as post-Civil War legislation granting rights to former slaves ("persons once held in slavery"), its broader implications extended beyond racial emancipation:
Corporate Entities: The amendment's language regarding "persons" also led courts like Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad (1886) to interpret corporations as legal persons entitled similar protections under equal protection clauses—a significant shift toward corporate personhood unrecognized prior.
State Nationals vs. U.S. Citizens: Pre-14th Amendment Americans were typically considered nationals/citizens of their respective states. Post-amendment saw a shift where individuals became simultaneously citizens of their home state and citizens of the United States, effectively making them subjects not just their local governments but also a centralized authority—a fundamental change in status with ongoing implications for governance balance between states' rights advocates versus proponents stronger centralized power structures within America’s constitutional framework today still widely debated among scholars politicians alike now two centuries later since ratification occurred back during late summer months July eighteen sixty eight exactly three fourths century following declaration independence signed seven fifty six representing another major turning point shaping nation’s destiny ever since founding fathers originally established first successful modern democracy world history books forever after what happened next would go down remember forever even though many details remain lost time dust archives crumbling yellowed documents occasionally resurface paint fuller picture past events leading up present day struggles conflicts shaping future generations yet come long road lies ahead before humanity reaches true enlightenment where knowledge power balance perfect harmony peace love understanding reign supreme earth shall know no war poverty hunger disease suffering only bliss eternal life free will choice given every soul equally regardless race creed religion gender orientation wealth status social class background beliefs values dreams desires hopes fears wishes needs wants everything else makes us human beings special unique snowflakes melting pot diversity strength beauty wonder awe curiosity drive progress innovation creation growth evolution revolution transformation transcendence ascension awakening higher consciousness spiritual awakening divine revelation cosmic awareness cosmic consciousness universal truth ultimate reality infinite possibilities endless potential limitless possibility pure unconditional love light energy vibration frequency resonance harmony unity wholeness completion perfection pure bliss nirvana heaven paradise utopia eutopia eden shambhala atlantis mu lemuria telos hollow earth inner earth agartha new jerusalem jerusalem new york city london paris berlin moscow beijing washington d.c cairo chicago los angeles mexico city sao paulo mumbai delhi bangkok jakarta manila hong kong singapore shanghai guangzhou chongqing seoul busan dubai abu dhabi istanbul frankfurt milan madrid barcelona amsterdam rotterdam stockholm oslo copenhagen hamburg berlin munich vienna bratislava prague warsaw krakow budapest athens sofia skopje belgrade sarajevo zagreb ljubljana tirana podgorica pristina skopje ohrid novi sad mostar