JOURNAL ARTICLE

"A Mysterious Fragment of Jetsam from the Lord Knows Where": John Peter Altgeld and the Question of Citizenship.

  • Published In: Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, 2026, v. 119, n. 1. P. 37 1 of 3

  • Database: America: History and Life with Full Text 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Edstrom, James A. 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the citizenship status of John Peter Altgeld, governor of Illinois, and its implications for presidential eligibility under the U.S. Constitution. Although long believed to have been born in the United States, recent evidence shows Altgeld was born in Germany shortly before his family arrived in New York, making him ineligible for the presidency due to naturalized citizenship status. The article situates Altgeld’s case within broader historical debates about citizenship, assimilation, and xenophobia in America, highlighting how legal definitions and public perceptions of citizenship have evolved, especially following the Fourteenth Amendment. Altgeld’s experience also illustrates how questions of citizenship can become politically and socially divisive, reflecting tensions between birthright and naturalized citizens. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 2026/03, Vol. 119, Issue 1, p37
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Law
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:1522-1067
  • DOI:10.5406/23283335.119.1.09
  • Accession Number:192456744
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society is the property of Illinois State Historical Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.