Make Rome Great Again! NPR Interviews Emperor on Birthright Citizenship

Today, on All Things Considered, we go back to 212 AD to interview Caracalla. Welcome to the program, Emperor.

ATC: Emperor, you are known for the Antonine Constitution—also called the Edict of Caracalla, which granted Roman citizenship to nearly all free men throughout the Roman Empire. What were conditions before your Edict? (Pause for Latin translation.)

Emperor: Before 212, only inhabitants of Italy held full Roman citizenship. Full citizenship in Rome was extended, also, to the formal Colonies of Romans. But our Empire had many “Provincials.” They and their children were non-citizens.

(Roman Empire during reign of Caracalla)

ATC: So, what changed with your Edict of 212?

Emperor: I declared that all free men in the vast Roman Empire were to be given Roman citizenship and that all free women in the Empire were to be given the same rights as Roman women.

ATC: That kind of equality is remarkable. Were there any disadvantages for these new citizens?

Emperor: Yes. All Roman citizens paid two taxes from which noncitizens were exempt— inheritance taxes, paid by beneficiaries, and also a tax levied when a slave was emancipated. We had many slaves, but we provided for manumission.

ATC: Why would anyone free a slave?

Emperor: My reign was marked by a strong economy and inflation. Slaves became more and more valuable. So, more masters freed their slaves, most of whom continued to work for them. Many slaves were able to buy their own freedom. We increased our tax base by doing this.

ATC: What impact did this have?

Emperor: At the death of Augustus in 14 AD, only 4–7% of all peoples in the Roman Empire were Roman citizens. As our Empire stretched around parts of three continents we needed more money and more conscripts to fight our wars. So, we had practical considerations in extending citizenship.

ATC: Was it just about taxes and soldiers?

Emperor: No. Some people say that I rose to power by murdering my brother. That is a witch hunt, a real hoax. But to deflect bad publicity, I thought this would really shake things up.

Also, the provincials benefited from my Edict. They considered themselves as equal partners to the Romans in the empire. You might say I expanded my base by Making Rome Great Again! 

Concluding context: President Trump has suggested that he will issue an executive order that nullifies birthright citizenship-- a term that means that anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen. Congress granted birthright citizenship to "all persons born" in the U.S. 

Opponents of birthright citizenship say that the U.S. is a rare country in being so permissive. I agree. It's because America has consciously built an empire-- now called a world power. American exceptionalism is built on the idea that Americans are not a race or an enclosed nationality group. 

If you think that empire building is far-fetched for America, consider the senators who supported birthright citizenship in 1866. They intended to make freed slaves citizens so that they could work on equal terms with free whites. And those senators also talked openly about Chinese immigrants and the industry of these people. The Chinese performed back-breaking work to complete the transcontinental railroad-- and did work that white Americans refused. Sen. Trumbull said that the "child of an Asiatic" is no different than any other child.

The labor that built that railroad laid the foundation for a transcontinental global superpower-- in other words, a 20th century empire.