The Birth Certificate: An American History

By: Susan J. Pearson

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Synopsis: For many Americans, the birth certificate is a mundane piece of paper, unearthed from deep storage when applying for a driver's license, verifying information for new employers, or claiming state and federal benefits. Yet as Donald Trump and his fellow "birthers" reminded us when they claimed that Barack Obama wasn't an American citizen, it plays a central role in determining identity and citizenship.In The Birth Certificate: An American History, award-winning historian Susan J. Pearson traces the document's two-hundred-year history to explain when, how, and why birth certificates came to matter so much in the United States. Deftly weaving together social, political, and legal history, The Birth Certificate is a fascinating biography of a piece of paper that grounds our understanding of how those who live in the United States are considered Americans.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
Book Size:: 392 Pages
ISBN-13:: 9781469665702
Related ISBNs:: 9781469665689
Publisher:: The University of North Carolina Press
Date of Addition:: 01/28/22
Copyrighted By:: Susan J. Pearson
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: History, Nonfiction, Law, Legal Issues and Ethics, Politics and Government
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.