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My interest was in whether the Founding Fathers felt that
Posted on: April 9, 2025 at 11:07:03 CT
JeffB MU
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regulating immigration was a federal power under the constitution that they had written & enacted.
They certainly spoke about citizenship and regulated how it was defined early on.
The new government under the Constitution began on March 4, 1789.
George Washington spoke of citizens 5 times in his first address to Congress on January 8, 1790:
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-george-washingtons-first-inaugural-speech
Early U.S. Naturalization Laws
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C4-1-2-3/ALDE_00013163/
Congress established its first uniform rule of naturalization through the Naturalization Act of 1790. The Act provided that any free white person who resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for at least two years could be granted citizenship if he or she showed good character and swore allegiance to the Constitution.1 The law also provided that the children of naturalized citizens under the age of twenty-one at the time of their parents’ naturalization and who were residing in the United States would be considered U.S. citizens.2 The children of U.S. citizens who were born outside the United States were deemed U.S. citizens unless their fathers had never resided in the United States.3 Additionally, Congress delegated to the courts the power to administer the naturalization process.4
In 1795 Congress amended the naturalization law by requiring an applicant to submit a declaration of intent to become a citizen at least three years before naturalization, and extending the minimum residence requirement to five years.5 Then, in 1798, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, which, among other things, lengthened the period in which to declare an intent to become a citizen to five years, lengthened the minimum residence requirement to fourteen years, and barred the naturalization of any alien from a country at war with the United States.6 In 1802, Congress repealed the previous laws and restored both the five-year residence requirement and the three-year declaration of intent period.7
In the ensuing years, Congress continued to establish naturalization policies with varying conditions and restrictions.8 Despite these differences, naturalization laws uniformly required that an applicant prove residence in the United States for a specific time period before acquiring citizenship.9
They certainly spoke about citizenship and regulated how it was defined early on.
The new government under the Constitution began on March 4, 1789.
George Washington spoke of citizens 5 times in his first address to Congress on January 8, 1790:
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-george-washingtons-first-inaugural-speech
Early U.S. Naturalization Laws
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C4-1-2-3/ALDE_00013163/
Congress established its first uniform rule of naturalization through the Naturalization Act of 1790. The Act provided that any free white person who resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for at least two years could be granted citizenship if he or she showed good character and swore allegiance to the Constitution.1 The law also provided that the children of naturalized citizens under the age of twenty-one at the time of their parents’ naturalization and who were residing in the United States would be considered U.S. citizens.2 The children of U.S. citizens who were born outside the United States were deemed U.S. citizens unless their fathers had never resided in the United States.3 Additionally, Congress delegated to the courts the power to administer the naturalization process.4
In 1795 Congress amended the naturalization law by requiring an applicant to submit a declaration of intent to become a citizen at least three years before naturalization, and extending the minimum residence requirement to five years.5 Then, in 1798, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, which, among other things, lengthened the period in which to declare an intent to become a citizen to five years, lengthened the minimum residence requirement to fourteen years, and barred the naturalization of any alien from a country at war with the United States.6 In 1802, Congress repealed the previous laws and restored both the five-year residence requirement and the three-year declaration of intent period.7
In the ensuing years, Congress continued to establish naturalization policies with varying conditions and restrictions.8 Despite these differences, naturalization laws uniformly required that an applicant prove residence in the United States for a specific time period before acquiring citizenship.9
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My interest was in whether the Founding Fathers felt that - JeffB MU - 4/9 11:07:03