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In the 18th and 19th centuries, citizenship laws were often restrictive, reflecting the norms and biases of those eras. Yet even then, the country gradually moved toward broader inclusion. The Naturalization Act of 1790, for example, limited citizenship to “free white persons,” a restriction that was later dismantled through constitutional amendments and civil rights legislation. These changes reflected a long-term national evolution toward a more universal understanding of civic membership.
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