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NATIONALITY ACT OF 1790
This was the first law to define eligibility for citizenship by naturalization and establish standards and procedures by which immigrants became US citizens. In this early version, Congress limited this important right to free white people. -
Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798
Congress enacted deportation laws targeting people that were political threats to the United States in response to conflicts in Europe. -
Ban Of Color
The Haitian Revolution had fears among southern slave owners that anti-slavery campaigns would spread to the United States. Congress passed a bill in 1803 which band bringing to the country "Negro and mulatto" immigrants. This immigration ban was not actively enforced. -
Indian Removal Act- 1830
During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, this law authorized the confiscation of land from Native Americans and provided resources for their forced removal west of the Mississippi River. The act allowed the Jackson administration to exchange lands west of the Mississippi River with Indian nations, which then were required to leave the eastern United States. -
Mexican-American War 1848
This treaty formalized the United States annexation of a large portion of northern Mexico, El Norte, and granted citizenship on Mexicans choosing to remain in the territory. -
Dred Scott versus Sanford 1857
Dred Scott was an African-American man that tried to sue in court for his freedom from slavery. The case was dismissed because a majority of the supreme court believe that if you were sold as a slave you pretty much had no right to do anything in court. It was later decided that the Dred Scott decision would be nullified by the 13th and 14th amendment. -
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 executive order freeing the slaves held in the Confederate states. -
IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1864
This law legalized labor recruitment practices in an attempt to encourage immigration to the United States, but it was quickly revoked. -
IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1891
This 1891 immigration law saw that immigration enforcement authority of the federal government, extended immigration inspection to land borders, and expanded the list of excludable and deportable immigrants. -
INDIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 1924
This law stated that all Native Americans born in the United States were automatically citizens by birth. -
IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT AMENDMENTS
He's amendment extended to the western hemisphere and modified preference system for arrivals. In 1978 the law was further amended to establish a single sealing of 290,000. The amendments also built procedures that were designed to keep legal immigration from certain major sending countries mainly Mexico.