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Doc of the Day: The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
06/02/10
On June 2, 1924, the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States. About two-thirds of Native Americans had already acquired U.S. citizenship prior to 1924 through various federal agreements and policies, including treaties, land allotments, marriage, and military service. The decision to confer citizenship on the remaining one-third grew partly out of appreciation for the contributions made by Indian soldiers during World War I, and partly out of a desire to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American society.
Some Native Americans viewed the Indian Citizenship Act as an important step toward equality, while others viewed it as a challenge to their sovereignty as Indian nations. Importantly, the law did not explicitly extend voting rights to Native American citizens. Since voting procedures were governed by the individual states, Native Americans did not enjoy full voting rights nationwide until Utah modified its election laws in 1957.
Read the INDIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 1924
See our Native American resources page