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Since it makes no mention of specific definitions or guidelines for citizenship, the Constitution implies both state and national citizenship.
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Citizenship was granted to white individuals considered to be of "good" character by the Naturalization Act of 1790. These prospective citizens had to be residents of the United States for at least two years. Non-White people were not allowed to vote, testify in court, or own property at this time.
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According to the decision of the Supreme Court, African Americans free or enslaved cannot be citizens of the United States and have no legal rights that white men are obligated to uphold. This ruling marks a major turning point in the citizenship debate.
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Bates, who completely disagrees with the Dred Scott decision, believes that free Black people can hold US citizenship.
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Black Codes were established by former Confederate states to restrict the rights of former slaves. Congress responded by passing the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which upholds birthright citizenship for all people born or naturalized in the United States, regardless of color.
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The Citizenship Article of the approved Amendment grants citizenship, both national and state, to any those born or naturalized within the United States and falling under its jurisdiction. This gives birthright citizenship a constitutional basis and explicitly rejects the Dred Scott ruling.
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Grants African American men the right to vote, further extending civil rights protections.
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reflects racial discrimination in immigration and naturalization rules, suspends Chinese immigration, and considers Chinese immigrants ineligible for naturalization.
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Changed how Native American tribes are treated by giving U.S. citizenship to those who accept individual land allowances.
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Any American woman who marries a foreigner shall take the nationality of her husband, According to a congressional decision. No matter where the couple lived, the woman's legal identity changed to become her husband's after marriage.
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acknowledges the rights of all Native Americans born in the country and grants them U.S. citizenship.
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combines and codifies the laws about U.S. citizenship, such as those of birthright citizenship and registration.
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Removes racial barriers to immigration and naturalization, establishing a more inclusive approach to citizenship.
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removes national-origin limits, changing immigration laws in the United States to allow a wider range of backgrounds for newly arrived citizens
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The Supreme Court upholds the idea of equal protection under the law by ruling that states cannot offer free public education to children of unauthorized immigrants.
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reflects constant difficulties in defining and defending citizenship rights, by expanding the government's power to monitor and regulate immigration in the context of national security.
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introduces safeguards for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as minors, acknowledging their real American identification despite problems with their legal status.