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The Declaration of Independence announced that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain rights. This was primarily limited to white, and land-owning men. -
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This provided Citizenship and rights that were largely tied to the state laws.
Slaves were counted of a person for representation but were denied rights. -
This act restricted citizenship to "free white persons" and also excluded Native Americans, enslaved individuals and non-whites. -
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The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the U.S, except as punishment for a crime. -
The 14th Amendment extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people.
This granted citizenship to "All persons born or naturalized in the United States" -
Prohibited voter discrimination based on race and color (though this was undermined by Jim Crow laws.) -
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This Act Prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States for 10 years, prohibited Chinese immigrants from becoming American citizens, restricted the entry and re-entry of Chinese nationals, created exemption status for teachers, students, merchants and travelers and required non-laborers to obtain certification from the Chinese government to immigrate. -
Indigenous peoples were granted citizenship through policies like the Dawes Act (1887) and the Indian Citizenship Act (1924) but many still faced discrimination and limited rights. -
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Japanese Americans, including citizens, were forcibly relocated to internment camps -
U.S Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren delivered the ruling in the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. State-sanctioned segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th amendment and was therefore unconstitutional. -
This Act outlawed segregation in public places and businesses, prohibited employment discrimination, and integrated school and other public facilities. -
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A law that changed the United States immigration system from a quota system to a preference system. It removed the National Orgins Formula, which had been the basis of immigration policy since the 1920's. -
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An executive action program that allows certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children to request a temporary deferral from deportation and receive worth authorization. This provided them with a pathway to live and work legally in the country for renewable two-year periods.