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Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence in 1776 was the beginning of equality and the rights of all men specifically to white landowners. -
U.S Constitution
In 1787 U.S. Constitution was written. It did id not clearly define citizenship, leaving the status of women, African Americans, Native Americans excluded -
Naturalization Act
Limited U.S. citizenship to white people excluding enslaved people, free Black people, Native Americans, and women from full citizenship rights. -
13th Amendment
Abolished slavery, but former enslaved people faced legal exclusion in many states. -
14th Amendment
Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. but Native Americans were excluded. -
15th Amendment
Prohibited denying the right to vote based on race. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Banned Chinese immigration and made Chinese residents ineligible for citizenship. -
Dawes Act
Forced Native Americans to assimilate, offering U.S. citizenship in exchange for land. -
19th Amendment
Granted women the right to vote after decades of activism. -
Indian Citizenship Act
Granted U.S. citizenship to Native Americans. -
Internment of Japanese Americans
U.S. citizens of Japanese descent were forcibly interned during WWII -
McCarran-Walter Act
Allowed Asian immigrants to become citizens. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Supreme Court decision that prohibited the segregation in public schools. -
Period: to
Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act
Banned racial segregation and prohibited discriminatory voting practices. Expanded rights for African Americans and other minorities. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
Provided pathways to citizenship for certain undocumented immigrants. -
First Black President
Barack Obama, the first Black president, elected, symbolizing a milestone in racial progress. -
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Granted temporary protection from deportation to undocumented individuals brought to the U.S. as children. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Legalized same-sex marriage, expanding rights for LGBTQ+ citizens. -
Roe v. Wade - Dobbs v. Jackson
Ended federal protection of abortion rights and returned the authority to regulate abortion to individual states.