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Nationality Act of 1790
The first law to establish rules for citizenship. Mainly for "free white persons" (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Lengthened Residency Requirement
The Naturalization Act increased the residency period as a requirement for citizenship from 2 years to 5 years (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Alien Acts of 1798
Allowed the president to deport or detain non-citizens who were deemed threats to the United States (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Lengthened Residency Requirement
The Naturalization Act increased the residency period as a requirement for citizenship from 5 years to 14 years (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Haitian Revolution
A slave rebellion that led to 345,000 deaths. This revolution led Congress to ban immigration of free African Americans to control anti-slavery activists (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Indian Removal Act
Allowed forcible removal of Native Americans to obtain land (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Free Naturalization of German and Irish Immigrants
In the 1840's, judges expedited naturalizations for German and Irish immigrants in exchange for votes during local elections. In 1868, 20,000-30,000 Irish immigrants were naturalized 6 weeks before an election (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty that ended the Mexican-American War. Conferred citizenship to Mexicans who chose to remain in the territory (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
People v. Hall
Supreme Court case ruled testimony of a Chinese man inadmissable, denying Chinese, Native American, and African Americans the status to testify in court against whites (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
U.S. Passports
Use of passports were limited to United States citizens (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Supreme Court ruling established slaves and free African Americans as non-citizens of the United States, preventing them from citizenship (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
The Homestead Act
A law that provided access to up to 160 acres of free land to individuals if they lived on and made agricultural improvements to the land. This also forced Indigenous Americans to relocate to reservations to free up the land that was to be granted (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Immigration Act
The law legalized recruitment of labor to encourage immigration to the United States (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Birthright Citizenship
Congressional law that established birthright citizenship no matter race or color, except for Indigenous Americans (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Burlingame Treaty
An International agreement which secured United States access to Chinese workers by granting free migration to Chinese and Americans (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
14th Amendment
Added birthright citizenship to the Constitution (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Naturalization Eligibility to African Americans
The Naturalization Act, limited to white persons, now included "persons of African descent" (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
People of Chinese Descent Cannot become U.S. Citizens
Persons of Chinese descent were not eligible for naturalization. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
An Immigration Ban that restricted Chinese immigration to the United States for 10 years (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Dawes Severalty Act
Divided tribal lands into individual plots as a way to encourage farming and owning property. Stripped Native Americans of land and sold to non-indigenous people (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Immigration Bureau
The Immigration Bureau was created and responsible for processing legal immigrants and enforcing immigration restrictions (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
U.S. Citizenship Extended to Tribes
Indigenous people who received land under the Dawes Severalty Act were extended citizenship eligibility (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Syrian Immigrants
A federal court in South Carolina denied citizenship to a Syrian immigrant because of his "darker" skin (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Filipinos and Naturalization
Allowed Filipinos who served in the Armed Forces to naturalize (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Indigenous Americans Eligible to Naturalize
Allowed WWI veterans of indigenous descent to become citizens (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Japanese Descent
Supreme court ruled people of Japenese descent could not become United States citizens (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Indian Immigrants
Supreme Court ruled that Indian nationals could not become United States citizens (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Revoked Citizenship of Indian Descent
Between 1923 and 1927, the United States government denaturalized 65 South Asians (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
The National Origins Act
A Federal law that limited the number of immigrants allowed in the United States (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Indian Citizenship Act
Granted citizenship to Native Americans who were born in the United States, however, they were not granted full rights of citizens (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Afghan Immigrant
Federal Court ruled that an Afghan immigrant could not naturalize because he was not "white or black" (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Deportation
During the 1930's, 500,000-1.8 million people of Mexican descent were removed from the United States. 60 percent were United States citizens (Timeline: Citizenship in the United States, 1781–Present, 2024). -
Repeal of Chinese Exclusion Act
China became the United States government's ally in the Pacific War which led to the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Displaced Persons Act
Congress allowed admission for refugees from Europe and permitted those seeking asylum to regularize their status (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Refugee Relief Act
Provided 214,000 visas to refugees (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Operation Wetback
The Immigration Bureau deported one million Mexican nationals (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
H-1B Visa
Revision of the Immigration Act which implemented H-1B visa program for skilled temporary workers (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act
Allowed certain Haitian nationals who had been residing in the U.S. to become legal permanent residents (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Enhanced Border Security
After the attacks on September 11th, the United States government expanded budgeting, staffing, and powers of the immigration enforcement bureaucracy (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Secure Fence Act
A law that mandated operational control over United States international land and maritime borders; expansion of existing walls, fences, and surveillance (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020). -
Muslim Travel Ban
Trump administration's executive order to prohibit travel and refugee settlement from select Muslim countries (The University of Texas at Austin Department of History, 2020).