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The United States declared independence from Britain. The citizenship was limited to white and property-owning men. Women, Native Americans, enslaved Africans, and non-property-owning white men were excluded from voting rights and citizenship. -
The United States adopted its first constitution, specifying who can become a citizen. The constitution included the “Three-Fifths Compromise,” placing the enslaved individuals as the three-fifths of a person. This was considered useful for representation in Congress to enable taxation and legislative representation. The first votes were taken in Philadelphia. -
The first Naturalization Act was passed. This granted citizenship to “free white persons” who had lived in the United States for at least two years. However, this meant that non-white immigrants, including Native Americans, Asians, and Africans, were excluded from the naturalization process. It also limited citizenship to those of European descent -
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision ruled that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, cannot be considered American citizens under the Constitution. The court ruled that Congress lacked authority to prohibit slavery activities in the territories, affecting the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which banned slavery activities in some Western territories. Overall, the decision had implications for the status of African Americans acquiring American citizenship and the issue of slavery. -
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln, freeing enslaved African Americans in the Confederate States. The struggle for equality still continues beyond Reconstruction, including issues of violence and segregation. Also, the issue of full citizenship rights still remained elusive.
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The 13th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, abolishing slavery in the United States. While it managed to address the issue of slavery, it did not automatically grant citizenship rights to former slaves. This required further legislation and ongoing political and social conversation to secure recognition and equal rights under the Constitution.
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The 14th Amendment is ratified, granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including formerly enslaved individuals. The amendment played an important role in overturning Dred Scott v. Sanford decision, advancing matters of equality under the law.
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The 15th Amendment is ratified, granting voting rights to African American men. However, voting rights for women and Native Americans are not addressed. Women had to wait to vote or exercise their civil rights until the passage of the 19th century, while the Native Americans had to wait until 20th century to enjoy the same rights.
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The 19th Amendment is ratified, granting women the right to vote, marking a significant expansion of citizenship rights. However, Native Americans were still largely excluded from voting.
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The Magnuson Act repeals the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, granting Chinese immigrants the ability to become naturalized citizens
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The Civil Rights Movement led to significant legislative changes, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which dismantled legal segregation and further advanced the rights of African-American
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Immigration and Nationality Act eliminated racial and national origin quotas in immigration. It led to a more diverse immigrant population and a broader range of ethnicity becoming U.S. citizens. It also paved way for skills and family reunification targeting immigration, leading to more nationalities become the United States Citizen.
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This act granted amnesty to undocumented immigrants who had been living in the U.S. since 1982, providing a path to citizenship for many. It allowed the people under this category to gain legal status, provided they underwent a legal process. However, the issue of undocumented immigrants remains a serious debate in the U.S.
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Citizenship and immigration continue to be subjects of debate, with discussions around the rights of undocumented immigrants and the path to citizenship for the millions of people living in the United States without legal status.