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The first permanent English settlement, Jamestown, Virginia, is established.
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The first enslaved Africans arrive in Jamestown, marking the beginning of the institution of slavery in the English colonies.
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The Declaration of Independence is adopted, asserting the right to self-governance and equality.
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The U.S. Constitution is ratified, defining the qualifications for citizenship and granting the power to regulate it to the federal government.
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The Naturalization Act of 1790 restricts citizenship to "free white persons."
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The international slave trade is banned, but slavery continues to flourish in the southern states.
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The Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court decision denies citizenship to enslaved and free African Americans.
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The 14th Amendment is ratified, granting citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" and guaranteeing equal protection under the law.
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The Naturalization Act of 1870 extends the right to become naturalized citizens to people of African descent.
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The Chinese Exclusion Act prohibits Chinese laborers from becoming U.S. citizens and restricts Chinese immigration.
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The U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark Supreme Court decision reaffirms birthright citizenship for the children of immigrants.
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The Immigration Act of 1924 establishes quotas based on national origin, favoring immigration from Western and Northern Europe.
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Executive Order 9066 authorizes the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
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The McCarran-Walter Act removes racial and ethnic barriers to naturalization, but discrimination persists.
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The Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
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The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 eliminates the national origin quotas and prioritizes family reunification.