Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Sociology Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Gender and Sexuality

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

2014

Citizenship

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in Sociology

Marriage And Citizenship In The United States, Shanella Gardner Jan 2014

Marriage And Citizenship In The United States, Shanella Gardner

Psi Sigma Siren

Most countries associate being a citizen with having certain legal rights and being born in that country, although this has not always been the case, especially in the United States. When writing the U. S. Constitution, the founding fathers were thinking of white, male landowners to be given the legal rights as citizens. This would leave the remaining population of women, African Americans and other people of color to fight to be recognized as citizens. The Naturalization Act of 1790 was the first legislative act that defined who could be citizens in the United States. It allowed citizenship for immigrants …