(Q002) The first naturalization law in the United States in 1790 limited citizenship to "free white persons," which set up a rel
atively broad and inclusive definition of "whiteness." However, the definition of whiteness narrowed such that it applied only to Anglos by the early twentieth century. What social change led to this increasingly exclusive definition of whiteness
The surge in immigration of non-Anglo Europeans to the United States
Explanation:
The Naturalization Act of 1790 set the criteria for naturalization to two years of residency, proof of good moral character, and an oath to support the Constitution. It also mandated that one must "absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty.
