OppressionMarch 26, 1790

The Naturalization Act of 1790

Citizenship by naturalization is restricted to "free white persons."

Resources

Primary sources·1

The first U.S. naturalization law, limiting citizenship to "free white persons" — the comparison point for excluding free non-white people versus owning the enslaved.

The web

Connections to other moments, systems, and investigations — the links rarely drawn together.

connects to·Thread
Chattel Slavery
The comparison point: free non-white people were excluded from citizenship, but the enslaved were excluded from personhood itself — a categorically different legal status.

Where to go next

connects to

Chattel Slavery

The comparison point: free non-white people were excluded from citizenship, but the enslaved were excluded from personhood itself — a categorically different legal status.