alien, invest him with the rights and privileges secured to a citizen of a State under the federal
government, although, so far as the State alone was concerned, he wauld undoubtedly be entitled
to the rights of a citizen, and clothed with all the rights and immunities which the Constitution
and laws of the State attached to that character.

It is very clear, therefore, that no State can, by any Act or lav,
adoption of the Constitution, introduce a new member into the political
the Constitution of the United States.   It cannot make him a member
making him a member of its own.  And for the same reason it cannot
description of persons, who were not intended to be embraced in thi
the Constitution brought into existence, but were intended to be excl nded

of its own, passed, since the
community created by
of this community by
introduce any person, or
5 new political family, which
from it.

The question then arises, whether the provisions of the Constitution, in relation to the
personal rights and privileges to which the citizen of a state should be entitled, embraced the
negro African race, at that time in this country, or who might afterwards be imported, who had
then or should afterwards be made free in any State; and to put it in the power of a single State to
make him a citizen of the United States, and endue him with the fullpghts of citizenship in every
other State without their consent. Does the Constitution of the United States act upon him
whenever he shall be made free under the laws of a State, and raised there to the rank of a citizen,
and immediately clothe him with all the privileges of a citizen in every other State, and in its own
courts?

The court think the affirmative of these propositions cannot
cannot, the plaintiff in error could not be a citizen of the State of Missouri
the Constitution of the United States, and, consequently, was not entitled

be maintained. And if it
i, within the meaning of
to sue in its courts.

It is true, every person, and every class and description of p ersons, who were at the time
of the adoption of the Constitution recognized as citizens in the several States, became also
citizens of this new political body; but none other; it was formed b> them, and for them and their
posterity, but for no one else. And the personal rights and privileges guarantied to citizens of this
new sovereignty were intended to embrace those only who were then members of the several
state communities, or who should afterwards, by birthright or otherwise, become members,
according to the provisions of the Constitution and the principles on which it was founded. It
was the union of those who were at that time members of distinct and separate political
communities into one political family, whose power, for certain specified purposes, was to
extend over the whole territory of the United States. And it gave to each citizen rights and
privileges outside of his State which he did not before possess, aid placed him in every other
State upon a perfect equality with its own citizens as to rights of person and rights of property; it
made him a citizen of the United States.

It becomes necessary, therefore, to determine who were citizens of the several States
when the constitution was adopted. And in order to do this, we must recur to the governments
and institutions of the thirteen Colonies, when they separated from Great Britain and formed new

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