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Declaration of Independence protests
Declaration of Independence protests England's limiting naturalization of foreigners in the colonies. In North America, the British Crown's desire to settle its colonies caused it to ignore the lax naturalization processes in the colonies, which granted immigrants the rights of Englishmen within the colonies in which they resided. In 1700 Parliament limited colonies' ability to grant naturalization rights because it believed that colonial naturalization weakened English citizens. -
U.S. Constitution
The Constitution as originally adopted assumes that there is citizenship of the United States, and of the States, but does not explicitly provide a rule that tells whether anyone is a citizen of either (other than by giving Congress the power to naturalize). Article III, which deals with the judiciary, gives the federal courts jurisdiction over controversies between citizens of different states and thus assumes that some people have state citizenship. -
Naturalization Act of 1790
Congress first defined eligibility for citizenship by naturalization in this law, and limited this important right to "free white persons." In practice, only white, male property owners could naturalize and acquire the status of citizens, whereas women, nonwhite persons, and indentured servants could not. This was the first law to define eligibility for citizenship by naturalization and establish standards and procedures by which immigrants became U.S. citizens. -
Pre-Civil War
Prior to the Civil War, both state and national citizenship were the subjects of considerable controversy. State citizenship was especially important for practical purposes because it gave access to the jurisdiction of the federal courts that was based on diversity of citizenship, and because Article IV secured certain rights to the citizens of one state who were present in another. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave Mexicans the right to remain in United States territory or to move to Mexico. About three thousand chose to move, but the overwhelming majority decided to stay. This gave Mexican citizens one year to choose U.S. or Mexican citizenship. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott sued the executor of his former master's estate under the state-citizenship diversity jurisdiction of the federal courts, seeking a determination that he had become free because his master had voluntarily taken him into free territory. The Supreme Court decided that slaves who were descendants of American slaves were not citizens of the United States under Article III of the Constitution because it limited both state and national citizenship on racial grounds. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment states that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Declared all persons born in the United States to be citizens, "without distinction of race or color, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude." -
14th Amendment
States that no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. -
Naturalization Act of 1870
The Naturalization Act of 1870 extended naturalization rights to former African slaves not born in the United States; Asian immigrants remained excluded from citizenship. -
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
Was the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States. In the spring of 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Chester A. Arthur. This act provided an absolute 10-year ban on Chinese laborers immigrating to the United States. -
United States v. Wong Kim Ark
Was a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court which held that "a child born in the United States, of parents of Chinese descent, who, at the time of his birth, are subjects of the Emperor of China, but have a permanent domicile and residence in the United States, and are there carrying on business, and are not employed in any diplomatic or official capacity under the Emperor of China, automatically become a US citizen at birth. -
Jones-Shafroth Act
Also, known as the Jones Act. This law gave Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship. The Jones Act separated the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches of the Puerto Rican government provided civil rights to the individual and created a locally elected bicameral legislature. This act grants U.S. citizenship to residents of Puerto Rico. -
Quota Law
The quota law was passed to limit the annual number of immigrants based on country of origin. Fears of increased immigration after the end of World War I and the spread of radicalism propelled Congress to enact this "emergency" measure imposing drastic quantitative caps on immigration. -
Indian Citizenship Act
This act of Congress granted citizenship to any Native Americans born within the United States. At the time many were still denied voting rights by the individual state or local laws. -
Alien Registration Act
The act was passed by Congress on the 29th of June, 1940. This act required all non-citizen adults to register with the government and empowers the president to deport foreigners suspected of espionage or being a security risk. -
Immigration and Nationality Act
Eliminates race as a bar to immigration or citizenship. -
Hart-Celler Act
Abolishes the national origins quota system, replacing it with a preference system that focuses on immigrants' skills and family relationships with citizens or U.S. residents. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
This act introduced civil and criminal penalties to employers who knowingly hired undocumented immigrants or individuals unauthorized to work in the U.S. However, the act also offered legalization, which led to lawful permanent residence and prospective naturalization for undocumented migrants, who entered the country prior to 1982. Farm workers who could validate at least ninety days of employment also qualified for lawful permanent residency. -
USA Patriot Act
This act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to broaden the scope of aliens ineligible for admission or deportation to include terrorist activities.
