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The Declaration of Independence declares "all men are created equal" but citizenship is mostly reserved for white landowning men. Native Americans, African slaves, and women are excluded. -
The U.S Constitution is adopted, but does not clearly define citizenship. -
The Naturalization Act limits citizenship to "free white persons" of good character, excluding Native Americans, indentured servants, enslaved people, free Africans, Pacific Islanders, and non-White Asians. -
The 13th Amendment abolishes slavery, freeing African Americans but not yet giving them full citizenship rights. -
Th 14th Amendment grants citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and guarantees equal protection under the law. However, Native Americans are still not considered citizens. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act restricts immigration from China and denies citizenship to Chinese immigrants. -
The Jones-Shafroth Act grants U.S citizenship to Puerto Ricans. -
The 19th Amendment grants women the right to vote, making a big step towards gender equality in citizenship. -
The Indian Citizenship Act grants citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act is repealed, allowing Chinese immigrants to become naturalized citizens. -
The Immigration and Nationality Act (McCarran-Walter Act) removes racial barriers to citizenship, allowing individuals of all races to become naturalized citizens, though it retains quotas for immigration. -
The Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, enforcing civil rights for African Americans and other minority groups. -
The Immigration and Nationality Act (Hart-Celler Act) abolishes the national origins quota system, significantly changing the racial and ethnic composition of immigrants in the United States. -
The Immigration Act increases the number of visas available to immigrants, establishes new visa categories for employment, and reduces the requirements for naturalization. -
The USA Patriot Act is passed following the September 11th terrorist attacks, leading to increased scrutiny and restrictions on immigrants. -
DACA allows certain undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S as children to receive a renewable period of of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit. -
This proposed Act would provide a path to permanent residence and citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals beneficiaries and others who entered as children, who currently only hold protection from deportation and work privileges under executive order, not statute.