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Naturalization Act of 1790
The Naturalization Act of 1790 was the first time that people could apply for American Citizenship. To be accepted as a citizen it was required that you were a white person of good character, and have had lived in the United States for 2 years. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
In the end of the Mexican-American War, The United States claimed territory of a large portion of Northern Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo allowed Mexicans staying in the annexed territory to be accepted as American citizens. -
Dred Scot V. Stanford
In the Supreme Court Case Dred Scott v. Stanford, it was ruled that free African Americans and slaves were U.S. citizens, and did not have rights of a citizen. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment granted citizenship for anyone born in the United States, including African Americans and slaves. -
Naturalization Act of 1870
The Naturalization Act of 1870 allowed more rights to immigrants from Africa, but denied rights to other immigrants of color. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was a ban on the import of Chinese immigrants, thus denying them American Citizenship -
Elk v. Wilkins
This was a Supreme Court case ruling that the 14th Amendment did not apply to Native Americans, and that they did not gain citizenship by birthright. -
Expatriation Act of 1907
At this time, women born in the United States assumed citizenship of their husbands. The Expatriation Act of 1907, allowed women who married noncitizen immigrants to have their citizenship revoked, -
Jones-Shafroth Act
The Jones-Shafroth Act allowed citizenship for Puerto Ricans after the land was claimed as a United States territory -
Cable Act of 1922
This act restored citizenship of women who had it revoked due to the Expatriation Act of 1907. -
Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
The Act allowed all US born Native Americans United States citizenship. -
The McCarren-Walter Act
This act ended racial restrictions on immigration and citizenship.