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This was the document that emphasized the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." this was hypocritical due to this only applying to white land-owning men and not the majority of minorities. -
The Constitution originally did not define citizenship, leaving the interpretation to individual states, still with this only white men yet again had full rights if they were property owners. -
This law allowed only "free white persons" to become U.S. Citizens, this also excluded women, enslaved people, and Native Americans. -
The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, but African Americans were still not granted full rights.
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This Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including former enslaved individuals.
However, many Southern states enacted Black Codes to restrict the rights of African Americans. -
Native Americans were granted US Citizenship, but many states found ways to keep them from voting -
This allowed Asian immigrants to become US citizens, addressing decades of exclusion due to discriminatory laws.
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Supreme Court cases affirmed Native Americans' rights and the complexities surrounding their citizenship and sovereignty.