The
Naturalization Act, passed by
CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
on June 18, 1798, increased the amount of time necessary for immigrants to become naturalized citizens in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from five to fourteen years. Although it was passed under the guise of protecting national security, most historians conclude it was really intended to decrease the number of voters who disagreed with the
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political partyA political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. At the time, most immigrants (namely
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and
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) supported
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and the Democratic-Republicans, the political opponents of the Federalists. This act was repealed in 1802.
A number of changes were made to the previous naturalization law:
| Act |
Naturalization Act of 1790 The original United States Naturalization Law of March 26, 1790 provided the first rules to be followed by the United States in the granting of national citizenship. This law limited naturalization to immigrants who were "free white persons" of "good moral character". It thus left out indentured...
|
Naturalization Act of 1795 The United States Naturalization Act of January 29, 1795 repealed and replaced the Naturalization Act of 1790. The 1795 Act differed from the 1790 Act by increasing the period of required residence from two to five years in the United States, by introducing the Declaration of Intention...
|
Naturalization Act of 1798 |
| Notice time |
no notice required |
3 years |
5 years |
| Residence period |
2 years |
5 years |
14 years |
The "notice time" refers to how long immigrants had to wait after declaring their intent to become a citizen. The "residence period" refers to how long they had to live in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
before they could become a citizen. The Naturalization Act is considered one of the
Alien and Sedition ActsThe Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress in the aftermath of the French Revolution's reign of terror and during an undeclared naval war with France, later known as the Quasi-War. They were signed into law by President John Adams...
passed contemporaneously in 1798. Like the Naturalization Acts of 1790 and 1795, this act also restricted citizenship to "free white persons".
Note the recognition of the distinction between
native, citizen, denizen, or subject of any nation or state with in the act. This act is the first to record immigration, maintain records of residence, and make certificates of residence for white immigrant aliens, for the purpose of establishing the date of arrival for subsequent qualification for naturalization.
External links
- Statutes at Large, 5th Congress, 2nd Session: Naturalization Act