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Naturalization Act
Citizenship is available for any free white man who has lived in the United States for two years. National Constitution Center. (n.d.). Interpretation: The Citizenship Clause. constitutioncenter.org. Retrieved June 2, 2023, from https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/amendment-xiv/clauses/700 -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
United States citizenship and voting rights were granted to those living in the area annexed to the United States after the war with Mexico. Citizenship was not extended to African Americans, Native Americans, or Asians. Library of Congress. (n.d.). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. loc.gov. Retrieved June 2, 2023, from https://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/ghtreaty/ -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott was not a citizen of any state because the Constitution excluded non-whites and that slaves were not citizens of the United States. National Archives. (2022, May 10). Dred Scott v. Sandford. archives.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/dred-scott-v-sandford -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 declared that persons born or naturalized in the United States were citizens of the United States and the state in which they reside and gave all citizens equal protection under the law. Additionally, citizenship by birth did not depend on race. However, the act did not give voting rights with citizenship.
National Constitution Center. (n.d.). Civil Rights Act of 1866. https://constitutioncenter.org -
14th Amendment
It was added to the Constitution that citizenship, based in no way on race, would be given on birth and naturalization.
National Archives. (2022a, February 8). 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868). archives.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/14th-amendment#:~:text=All%20persons%20born%20or%20naturalized%20in%20the%20United%20States%2C%20and,the%20State%20wherein%20they%20reside. -
Naturalization Act of 1870
Citizenship was extended to non-citizens who were free white persons and to non-citizens who were black, and those who were former slaves, whether born in the United States or not. Asian immigrants remained excluded. Smith, M. (2022, November 10). Race, Nationality, and Reality. archives.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2002/summer/immigration-law-1#:~:text=Congress%20went%20further%20by%20amending,foundation%20for%20future%20confusion%20over -
15th Amendment
Black men now had the right to vote as the 15th Amendment stated that "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Notably missing is the right to vote for women. U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2 -
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
Immigration was banned for Chinese laborers for ten years in this first law that significantly restricted immigration. National Archives. (2023, January 17). Chinese Exclusion Act. archives.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/chinese-exclusion-act#:~:text=It%20was%20the%20first%20significant,immigrating%20to%20the%20United%20States -
United States v. Wing Kim Ark
The Supreme Court rules that any child born in the United States is a citizen regardless of parents' citizenship on the grounds of the 14th Amendment. National Constitution Center. (n.d.-c). United States v. Wong Kim Ark. constitutioncenter.org. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/supreme-court-case-library/united-states-v-wong-kim-ark-1898 -
Expatriation Act of 1907
U.S. law stipulated that women would assume the citizenship of their husbands and that U.S. citizenship would be stripped from women who married non-U.S. Citizen immigrants. Hacker, M. (2014). When Saying “I Do” Meant Giving Up Your U.S. Citizenship. Genealogy Notes. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.archives.gov/files/publications/prologue/2014/spring/citizenship.pdf -
Jones-Shafroth Act
U.S. citizenship was granted to Puerto Rico, an incorporated territory. Puerto Ricans, however, cannot cast votes in U.S. Presidential elections. Library of Congress. (n.d.-a). Jones Act. loc.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/jonesact.html -
Indian Citizenship Act
Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting citizenship to all Native Americans born within the United States. Voting was not a guaranteed right in all states for Native Americans until 1957. National Constitution Center. (2022, June 2). On this day, all American Indians made United States citizens. constitutioncenter.org. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-in-1924-all-indians-made-united-states-citizens -
Nationality Act of 1940
Women could now repatriate regardless of marital status as the Expatriation Act of 1907 was repealed. Among other provisions, the act also stated how children "born out of wedlock to U.S. Citizens" could become citizens. Smith, M. (2022, November 10). Race, Nationality, and Reality. archives.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2002/summer/immigration-law-1#:~:text=Congress%20went%20further%20by%20amending,foundation%20for%20future%20confusion%20over -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
The national origins quota system was upheld but Asian exclusion from immigration ended via the McCarran-Walter Act. Office of The Historian & U.S. Department of State. (n.d.). The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. history.state.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/immigration-act#:~:text=the%20full%20notice.-,The%20Immigration%20and%20Nationality%20Act%20of%201952%20(The%20McCarran%2DWalter,controversial%20system%20of%20immigrant%20selection. -
Civil Rights Act 1964
Rights were now protected regardless of race, color, national origin, and much more. Enforcement of voting rights was strengthened, further protecting the right to vote for many. U.S. Department of Labor. (n.d.). The Civil Rights Act of 1964. DOL.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/civil-rights-center/statutes/civil-rights-act-of-1964#:~:text=In%201964%2C%20Congress%20passed%20Public,hiring%2C%20promoting%2C%20and%20firing. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
The act offered legalization and lawful permanent residence as well as prospective naturalization to undocumented migrants. Library of Congress. (n.d.-a). Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. loc.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://guides.loc.gov/latinx-civil-rights/irca -
USA Patriot Act
The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to broaden who can be deemed ineligible for admission or for deportation. This is done to account for terrorist activity response. U.S. Department of Justice. (n.d.). What is the USA Patriot Web. justice.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from https://www.justice.gov/archive/ll/highlights.htm