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Citizen Vs National
Introduction. The Invisible contract
You’ve been told you’re a citizen.
You’ve never been told what that means.
And certainly not where it comes from.
Most assume “citizen” is a synonym for belonging.
But in law, it is a status—created after the Civil War, defined by the 14th Amendment, and tied to a corporate jurisdiction known as the District of Columbia.
The term “United States citizen” did not exist in the original Constitution. It was born out of reconstruction.
A new category was formed for a newly freed population. That category later became the default status for all, via presumption and silence.
What the law actually says.
Most people never question what it means to be a citizen of the United States. The term sounds familiar, even patriotic. But the moment you step into the legal world, the meaning begins to shift.
The first place it appears in force is the 14th Amendment, passed after the Civil War. It begins with a specific declaration:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States...”
You see... it says the word “persons” —not “people,” not “nationals,” not “men” or “women.” Just persons.
And legally, a “person” includes not just humans, but also corporations, trusts, estates, associations, and partnerships. That’s not speculation—that’s straight from the U.S. Code:
26 USC § 7701(a)(1) defines “person” to include trusts, partnerships, and corporations.
8 USC § 1101(b)(3) confirms that “person” can be either an individual or an organization.
So if the term “citizen” is being assigned to a class of “persons,” what kind of status is this really?
It’s a corporate status, granted through legal assumption, not natural right.
And under current interpretation, every “U.S. citizen” is legally domiciled not in a state—but in the District of Columbia. (8 USC § 1401(a))
This is not conspiracy—it’s coding. And it has shaped how the law sees you in every contract, court, and application.
The language changed. The meaning changed.
But your power to choose remains.
Let's see some history...
To understand the difference between a citizen and a national, we have to go back—not just to the 14th Amendment, but to the years after the Civil War, when the very structure of governance in the United States quietly changed.
In 1871, Congress passed the Organic Act, establishing the District of Columbia as a separate municipal corporation. This wasn’t just about managing a capital—it marked a shift from a republic of sovereign states to a centralized corporate framework.
Around the same time, the 14th Amendment was introduced, creating a new class of political status: the “citizen of the United States.” This was distinct from the original state citizenship that existed before the war. It applied primarily to newly freed slaves—granting them certain protections, but also placing them firmly under federal jurisdiction.
Over time, that status—originally specific—became assumed for all. Through silence. Through public registration. Through signatures.
Today, if you say you're a “U.S. citizen,” you're saying:
I am a person under the 14th Amendment
I accept federal jurisdiction
I operate in the public, as a corporate fiction
But the older standing still exists in law:
The national.
Defined in 8 USC § 1101(a)(21), a national owes allegiance, not submission. A national stands in trust, not contract.
Passport
Clues
You can still find it, buried in federal regulations and older application forms: Nationals can lawfully obtain a U.S. passport.
It’s written in 8 USC § 1101(a)(21) and acknowledged in 8 USC § 1408.
But something’s changing…
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