Evolution of the National Citizentry

By bblackburn001

  • The First Naturalization Act

    In March of 1790, Congress passed the first Naturalization Act. This act stated that any free, white adult who had resided in the United States for a period of 2 years was eligible for citizenship. Citizenship was granted to those who proved to the court that they had good moral character and took an oath of allegiance to the Constitution.

  • The Citizenship Act of 1795

    In January of 1790, Congress passed the Citizenship Act of 1795. This act increased the period of required residence from 2 to 5 years. It also created a two-step naturalization process that confers the status of "citizen." For an immigrant to become a citizen, they would have to go to court and declare their intention at least three years prior to their citizenship application.

  • The Citizenship Act of 1802

    The Act of 1802 declared the requirement that the court clerk had to record the entry of all people into the United States. They had to record the applicant's name, birthplace, age, nation of allegiance, country of emigration, and place of intended settlement. They also granted each applicant a certificate of evidence of time of arrival into the U.S.

  • The Citizenship Act of 1855

    In the Act of 1855, citizenship was granted to alien wives of U.S. citizens and children born outside of the United States whose father was a U.S. citizen.

  • Dred Scott v. Sandford

    Missouri's Dred Scott v. Standford Supreme Court Case denied the legality of black citizenship in America. According to the Supreme Court, slaves were property and didn't have rights.

  • The 14th Amendment

    The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States." This included formerly enslaved people. It also provided all citizens with "equal protection under the law."

  • The Naturalization Act of 1870

    The Naturalization Act of 1870 extended naturalization eligibility to "aliens being free white persons, and to aliens of African nativity and to persons of African decent."

  • The Chinese Exclusion Act

    Congress banned the naturalization of Chinese immigrants in 1882.

  • The Expatriation Act

    The Expatriation Act declared that any American woman who married a non-American citizen would take the nationality of her husband and her citizenship would be stripped.

  • The Indian Citizenship Act

    In 1924, Congress granted citizenship to Native Americans born in the U.S. However, the right to vote was governed by state law, and some states barred Native Americans from voting.

  • The Nationality Act of 1940

    The Nationality Act of 1940 specified that sex nor marital status could be considered in naturalization decisions. However, it did not outline anything concerning race and ethnicity.

  • Executive Order 9066

    In response to WWII, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 ordering the forced removal of all persons deemed a threat to national security, mainly Japanese-Americans.

  • The Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act

    Congress repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act, allowing foreign-born Chinese the right to seek naturalization.

  • The Luce-Celler Act

    This Act grants naturalization rights to Indians and Filipinos. It also allowed for a yearly quota of 100 immigrants from each country.

  • The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952

    This Act extended U.S. citizenship to those born in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam after December 24, 1952.

  • The Civil Rights Act

    The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It also granted all U.S. citizens equal American rights.