Native Americans Granted Citizenship: 1924 Act Recognizes Rights
President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act on June 2, 1924, granting full US citizenship to all Native Americans born within the country's borders. Approximately two-thirds of Native Americans were already citizens through treaties, military service, or allotment programs. The remaining third, roughly 125,000 people, gained citizenship through this act. However, citizenship did not automatically confer voting rights, which were controlled by state governments. Several states, including Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, continued to bar Native Americans from voting through literacy tests, poll taxes, and requirements that voters not be under federal "guardianship." Full voting rights were not effectively secured until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and litigation over Native American voting access continues today.
June 2, 1924
102 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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