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Nationality Act
Establishment of steps for immigrants to become U.S. citizens. Defined U.S. citizens as "free white persons". -
Alien and Sedition Acts
Deportation laws are created, targeting political powers that were thought to be a threat to the U.S. -
Indian Removal Act
This law allowed Americans to take land from Native Americans and force their removal to the west. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
After the Mexican-American War, American gained a large part of northern Mexico as their territory. This law gave American citizenship to Mexicans who stayed in the territory. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Supreme Court ruled slaves and free African Americans were not allowed American citizenships. They were also not entitled to the rights of citizenships. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution gave African Americans citizenship upon their birth in America. It gave American born Blacks equal rights and protections. -
Naturalization Act
This act changed which immigrants were allowed naturalization rights within the United States. It extended rights only to "aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent". This act excluded any other non-white races attempting to immigrate to America. -
Chy Lung v. Freeman
The Supreme Court ruled that federal government of the United States has the sole authority to regulate immigration to the U.S. -
Angell Treaty
This treaty replaced the Burlingame Treaty of 1868. It restricted the immigration of different categories of Chinese workers. This treaty pretty much excluded the Chinese from immigration to America. -
Immigration Act
Added persons of undesirable attributes, like convicts and lunatics, to the list of excludable aliens. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
This law restricted Chinese immigrants from immigration into the U.S. It limited Chinese entry and made them ineligible for U.S. citizenship. -
Elk v. Wilkins
Supreme Court ruled that the 14th Amendment did not include Native Americans who were not born in the U.S. -
Dawes Allotment Act
Allowed tribal reservations to be separated into individual lands that were allotted to Native Americans by the U.S. government. -
Immigration Bureau
Congress created the Immigration Bureau to be responsible for processing immigrations and handling restrictions. -
Geary Act
Required Chinese peoples to carry a Certificate of Residence to prove their lawful presence in America. Those without this certificate were liable for detention and/or deportation. -
United States v. Wong Kim Ark
Supreme Court ruled that, regardless of parent's status or race, any person born within the borders of the United States was a United States citizen. -
Expatriation Act
This act removed U.S. citizenship from a U.S. born woman if she married a noncitizen immigrant man. -
Alien Land Laws in California
These laws banned any "aliens ineligible for citizenship" from owning or leasing land. -
Jones-Shafroth Act
Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship. -
Cable Act
Citizenship was restored to women who had previously lost their U.S. born citizenship due to marrying noncitizen men. -
Indian Citizenship Act
All Native Americans born in the United States were automatically citizens. -
Undesirable Aliens Act
A law that created an official port of entry for immigrations and anyone entering the U.S. outside of that port would be committing a misdemeanor and, if they returned after being deported, a felony. -
Executive Order 9066
A wartime executive order, signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, for all Japanese Americans living within 100 miles of the west coast be rounded up and incarcerated. -
Repeal of Chinese Exclusion
Previous restrictions regarding the immigration of Chinese peoples were lifted and they were given the same immigration restrictions as European countries. -
Ex Parte Endo
Supreme Court ruled that "concededly loyal" U.S. citizens could not be held due to "military necessity". This released the Japanese Americans that were incarcerated from 1942-1944.