Dred Scott’s Daughter: Birthright Citizenship and the Meaning of “American”

On Thursday, October 23, LancasterHistory and the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College will host Amanda Frost, an immigration attorney and law professor at the University of Virginia. In her lecture, “Dred Scott’s Daughter: Birthright Citizenship and the Meaning of ‘American,’” Frost will explore the legal and historical importance of birthright citizenship—and what it means for the nation’s future.  

The United States has long grappled with the question: Who counts as an American? In 1857, the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision denied citizenship to all Black people, enslaved or free. After the Civil War, Thaddeus Stevens and other Radical Republicans fought to secure birthright citizenship in the Fourteenth Amendment, which ensured citizenship for the more than four million recently emancipated people and for anyone born in the United States. Although the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld this principle in landmark rulings, the debate over birthright citizenship continues today.

Registration & Additional Information

The event, “Dred Scott’s Daughter: Birthright Citizenship and the Meaning of ‘American,’” will take place on Thursday, October 23, 2025 in Freedom Hall A at the Lancaster County Convention Center, 25 S. Queen Str., Lancaster, PA. It is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, please visit bit.ly/afrostlecture online or call 717.392.4633, ext. 100 to register over the phone.

LancasterHistory is committed to making our events accessible to everyone. An ASL interpreter will be on-site for the event. If you require additional accommodations or services to fully participate in this event, please contact Robin Sarratt at info@lancasterhistory.org at least 7 days prior to the event. LancasterHistory is currently working on adding a livestream option. Please check back to their website for a future update and registration for said option.