Native Americans were given American citizenship in 1924
The Indian Citizenship Act was signed into law by no one other than President Calvin Coolidge on June 2, 1924. Some of the Native Americans were already seen as U.S. citizens, because of the 1887 Dawes Act, which allowed citizenship to those who accepted land grants.
Even so, even if they received full citizenship, lots of Native Americans weren’t allowed to vote. Voting rights varied depending on the state, and many chose not to allow Native Americans to vote for decades. States were also using discriminatory practices that were meant to limit access to the polls.
For example, many used literacy tests, which didn’t allow Native Americans who couldn’t read and write in English to vote at all. These practices took place for many years until the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
9 Responses
Good one!
This is deeply disturbing. Many of us don’t think to reeducate ourselves. Our history that is taught in school is all lies. I am Iriquois, from the northern NY state into Canada’s Quebec providence. My great great great grandmother was full blooded Iriquois, Seneca. I am proud of that and I respect all the tribes.
My maternal grandmother was a Onondaga Iroquois. I learned a lot of my Indian heritage from my grandfather. I am proud to be part of this history. Thank you for this history lesson.
It was very interesting would enjoy reading more about this as my mother was native American
What’s interesting to me, where did the ‘native’ Americans come from. If we complete a more intense historical search, the ‘native’ American came from Filipino islands which really complicate the ‘American’ claim. When tracing historical facts, we should not stop searching when we get the results we’re looking for. History requires accuracy to the historical beginning. When a complete line of heritage is gone because a ‘wacko’ kills them all, that doesn’t change historical facts!
I would think the term “native” applies to the indigenous people living here when the first Europeans came to these shores.
The truly “native” people going all the way back would all be from Mesopotamia!
Short paragraphs but loaded with precise facts .Very inspiring and informative.
Looking forward to more information .History taught never much of any facts of actual history,facts marred in time.
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Keep up the great writing.