Becoming a United States citizen can occur by birthright or through naturalization. This lesson will address citizenship by birthright.

There are two ways of becoming a United States citizen by birthright. The first way, referred to as jus soli, which is Latin for “right of the soil,” is simply being born in the United States, in either a state or a territory to which Congress has bestowed citizenship to persons born there. The second way, referred to as jus sanguinis, which is Latin...