-
Naturalization Act of 1790- The Birth of American Citizenship
The first naturalization act, passed by Congress on March 26, 1790, provided that any free, white, adult male or female, who had resided within the limits and jurisdiction of the United States for a period of 2 years was eligible for citizenship. Under the act, any individual who desired to become a citizen was to apply to “any common law court of record, in any one of the states wherein he shall have resided for the term of one year at least. " -
Mass Irish Immigration
The potato famine and numerous political conflicts in Ireland caused a mass immigration of the Irish to arrive in the United States. Most arrived by ship and landed in Massachusetts and New York. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo- Citizenship at the End of the Mexican-American War
The war officially ended with the February 2, 1848, signing in Mexico of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
The treaty added an additional 525,000 square miles to United States territory, including the land that makes up all or parts of present-day -
The Dred Scott Decision on Black Citizenship
In 1857, the nation's top court ruled that living in a free state and territory did not entitle Dred Scott to his freedom because, as an enslaved man, he was not a citizen, but essentially another person's property. One statute allowed any person of any color to sue for wrongful enslavement. The other stated that any person taken to a free territory automatically became free and could not be re-enslaved upon returning to a slave state. -
African Americans Granted Citizenship
African Americans were granted American citizenship in 1868 when the 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution. Despite this, their rights were still limited in comparison to those of white American citizens. -
Naturalization Act of 1870 (Update to the 1790 Version)
Citizenship and the constitutional protection of African Americans and individuals of an African background were ensured. Although, the update also mentioned to "maintain racial distinctions that denied naturalization rights and access to citizenship to Asian and other non-white immigrants" (University of Texas, 2019). -
Page Law of 1875
Unfree laborers/women who were brought over to the U.S, for “immoral purposes” were prohibited from gaining U.S. citizenship, particularly those who were of Asian descent to "restrict immigration w/o categorically restricting Asian immigration based on race" (University of Texas, 2019). This law occurred during a boom in Chinese immigration in CA.