Naturalization act of 1798 - wikipedia Naturalization act of 1798 Naturalization Act of 1798 Other short titles Naturalization Act Long title An act supplementary to and to amend the act, intituled `` An act to establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and to repeal the act heretofore passed on that subject Enacted by the 5th United States Congress Effective June 18, 1798 Legislative history Signed into law by President John Adams on June 18, 1798 Wikisource has original text related to this article : Naturalization Act of 1798 The Naturalization Act, passed by the United States Congress on June 18, 1798 ( 1 Stat. 566 ), increased the period necessary for immigrants to become naturalized citizens in the United States from 5 to 14 years. Although the law was passed under the guise of protecting national security, most historians conclude it was really intended to decrease the number of voters who disagreed with the Federalist political party. At the time, most immigrants supported Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic - Republicans, the political rivals of the Federalists. This act was repealed in 1802 by the Naturalization Law of 1802. A number of changes were made to the previous naturalization law : Act Naturalization Act of 1790 Naturalization Act of 1795 Naturalization Act of 1798 Notice time no notice required 3 years 5 years Residence period 2 years 5 years 14 years The `` notice time '' refers to the period that immigrants had to wait after declaring their intent to become a citizen. The `` residence period '' refers to the period they had to live in the United States before they could become a citizen. The Naturalization Act of 1798 is considered one of the Alien and Sedition Acts, passed contemporaneously in 1798. Like the Naturalization Acts of 1790 and 1795, the 1798 act also restricted citizenship to `` free white persons ''. Also, the act distinguished between native, citizen, denizen, or subject of any nation or state. The act is the first to maintain records of immigration and residence, and provided certificates of residence for white immigrant aliens, for the purpose of establishing the date of arrival for subsequent qualification for. References Jump up ^ Watkins, William J., Jr. Reclaiming the American Revolution. p. 28. ISBN 0 - 230 - 60257 - 6. External links Statutes at Large, 5th Congress, 2nd Session : Naturalization Act Immigration to the United States and related topics Relevant colonial era, United States and international laws Colonial era Nationality law in the American Colonies Plantation Act 1740 18th century Naturalization Act 1790 / 1795 / 1798 19th century Naturalization Law 1802 Civil Rights Act of 1866 14th Amendment ( 1868 ) Naturalization Act 1870 Page Act ( 1875 ) Immigration Act of 1882 Chinese Exclusion ( 1882 ) Scott Act ( 1888 ) Immigration Act of 1891 Geary Act ( 1892 ) 1900 -- 1949 Naturalization Act 1906 Gentlemen 's Agreement ( 1907 ) Immigration Act of 1907 Immigration Act 1917 ( Asian Barred Zone ) Emergency Quota Act ( 1921 ) Cable Act ( 1922 ) Immigration Act 1924 Tydings -- McDuffie Act ( 1934 ) Filipino Repatriation Act ( 1935 ) Nationality Act of 1940 Bracero Program ( 1942 -- 1964 ) Magnuson Act ( 1943 ) War Brides Act ( 1945 ) Luce -- Celler Act ( 1946 ) 1950 -- 1999 UN Refugee Convention ( 1951 ) Immigration and Nationality Act 1952 / 1965 Refugee Act ( 1980 ) Immigration Reform and Control Act ( 1986 ) American Homecoming Act ( 1989 ) Immigration Act 1990 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act ( IIRIRA ) ( 1996 ) Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act ( NACARA ) ( 1997 ) American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act ( ACWIA ) ( 1998 ) 21st century American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act ( AC21 ) ( 2000 ) Legal Immigration Family Equity Act ( LIFE Act ) ( 2000 ) H - 1B Visa Reform Act ( 2004 ) REAL ID Act ( 2005 ) Secure Fence Act ( 2006 ) DACA ( 2012 ) Executive Order 13769 ( 2017 ) Executive Order 13780 ( 2017 ) Visas and policies Visa policy Permanent residence Visa Waiver Program Temporary protected status Asylum Green Card Lottery US - VISIT Security Advisory Opinion E-Verify Section 287 ( g ) National Origins Formula Government organizations Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement U.S. Border Patrol U.S. Customs and Border Protection Immigration and Naturalization Service ( INS ) Board of Immigration Appeals Supreme Court cases United States v. Wong Kim Ark ( 1898 ) United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind ( 1923 ) United States v. Brignoni - Ponce ( 1975 ) Chamber of Commerce v. 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Question: the federalist majority passed the naturalization act of 1798 which
Answer: increased the period necessary for immigrants to become naturalized citizens in the United States from 5 to 14 years