Citizenry in detail

By pytyan
  • Declaration of Independence

    Declaration of Independence
    This was the document that emphasized the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." this was hypocritical due to this only applying to white land-owning men and not the majority of minorities.
  • Ratification

    Ratification
    The Constitution originally did not define citizenship, leaving the interpretation to individual states, still with this only white men yet again had full rights if they were property owners.
  • Naturalization Act

    Naturalization Act
    This law allowed only "free white persons" to become U.S. Citizens, this also excluded women, enslaved people, and Native Americans.
  • End Of the Civil War

    The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, but African Americans were still not granted full rights.
  • The Fourteenth Amendment

    The Fourteenth Amendment
    This Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including former enslaved individuals.
    However, many Southern states enacted Black Codes to restrict the rights of African Americans.
  • Indian Citizenship Act

    Indian Citizenship Act
    Native Americans were granted US Citizenship, but many states found ways to keep them from voting
  • McCarran-Walter Act

    This allowed Asian immigrants to become US citizens, addressing decades of exclusion due to discriminatory laws.
  • Native American Sovereignty and Citizenship

    Native American Sovereignty and Citizenship
    Supreme Court cases affirmed Native Americans' rights and the complexities surrounding their citizenship and sovereignty.