ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

History of citizenship

Well, citizenship is like being a member of a club, but instead of just being in a fun club with your friends, it means you belong to a country and have certain rights and responsibilities to that country.

Now, a long time ago, people didn't really have an idea of citizenship like we do today. They just identified with their families, tribes, or communities. But as time passed, and the world got more organized, people started to think more about what it meant to belong to a country.

The Ancient Greeks were one of the first to come up with the idea of citizenship. They believed that all citizens had the right to participate in the government and that this helped make their society stronger. Later, the Ancient Romans also had an idea of citizenship where people born or living within the borders of the empire were considered citizens.

But citizenship rules have changed over time. For example, in medieval Europe, being part of a guild helped one's status as a citizen. During Japan's Edo period, severe restrictions were placed on the movement and social status of the lower class. In the United States, citizenship was initially limited to white men who owned property, but it gradually expanded to include women and people of different races.

Today, citizenship means being legally recognized as a member of a country and having certain rights that non-citizens may not have, such as voting or working certain government jobs. It also means having some responsibilities, like following the country's laws and paying taxes.