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The Naturalization Act
The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were key components in how citizenship was originally defined in the United States. In 1790, the Naturalization Act was signed into law, limiting citizenship to "free white persons" of "good character." This excluded Indigenous and enslaved people, as well as anyone who was not European. Voting rights were only limited to white men who owned property. -
The Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France. This caused the United States to rapidly expand westward. As the United States continued to grow, questions began raising about the citizenship status of immigrants, as well as Indigenous people and enslaved people. Indigenous people were viewed as members of sovereign nations rather than as U.S. citizens. Enslaved people were denied citizenship, and African-Americans who were free had very little rights. -
The Civil War
The Civil War began due to the growing tensions over slavery between the Northern and Southern states. The Southern states strongly believed in states' rights, and felt that the federal government was abusing their power by attempting to regulate slavery throughout the United States. After President Abraham Lincoln was elected, the Southern States seceded, due to Lincoln's strong opposition to slavery. -
The 13th Amendment
Before the end of the Civil War, the 13th amendment was ratified. This amendment called for the abolishment of slavery in the United States, unless under the circumstance as a punishment for crime. It is possible that the ratification of the 13th amendment alone is what caused a major shift in the Civil War, ultimately leading to the Southern states losing the battle. -
The 14th Amendment
Three years after the ending of the Civil War, the 14th amendment was ratified, which automatically granted citizenship to everyone born in the United States, regardless of race. The 14th amendment also overturned Dred Scott v. Sanford, which was a case that ruled against Black Americans being citizens of the United States. -
The 15th Amendment
The last of what were considered to be the Reconstruction Amendments, the 15th amendment was ratified, which granted all American citizens the right to vote, regardless of race. Although this was a huge step for equality in the United States, women were still not allowed to vote. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act
In 1882, the U.S. government passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which effectively banned a large majority of Chinese people from entering the country, with very little exceptions being made. The act was fueled by the United States seeing China as competition when it came to global economics. Although the act was only meant to be implemented for ten years, it was made permanent in 1902. -
The Dawes Act
Passed in 1887, the Dawes Act set to eliminate tribal cohesiveness within Indigenous groups. The act allowed for reservation land to be broken up into individual plots, and it was only the Indigenous people who accepted the individual plots who were allowed to become U.S. citizens. Between 1887 and 1934, over 85 million acres of Indigenous land were sold to people who were not Indigenous. -
The 19th Amendment
Men, including men of color, were granted the right to vote long before women. This changed when the 19th amendment was ratified, granting all women the right to vote in the United States. -
The Cable Act
The Cable Act, also known as the Married Women's Citizenship Act, was passed in 1922. Before this, if American women married men who were not U.S. citizens, they automatically lost their citizenship. After women gained the right to vote just two years prior, it was important that married women were able to uphold their status of American citizens as well. -
The Indian Citizenship Act
Although the 14th amendment granted people of color the right to vote, this did not include Indigenous people. However, the Indian Citizenship Act, also known as the Snyder Act, was passed in 1924. This granted all Native Americans U.S. citizenship if they were born in the United States. The act also granted Indigenous people the right to vote, however, the decision was still up to the individual states, and it took decades for all 50 states to grant the right to vote for Native Americans. -
The Civil Rights Act
In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed with the help of President John F. Kennedy. The act prohibited discrimination against someone based on their race, sex, religion, or national origin. This included public spaces as well as in the workforce. Essentially, it was made illegal to hire, promote, or fire someone based on the things listed above. The Civil Rights Act also ended "Jim Crow" laws.