Indian Citizenship Act/Snyder Act
Some Indians had received citizenship
through marriage, joining the military, or
special treaties, but many were still not
citizens. So on June 2, 1924, congress
granted citizenship to all Native Americans
born in the U.S.
Many people believed that the Native
Americans earned the right to be
citizens after fighting during wartime.
They were no longer segregated like
African Americans.
Not all Native Americans wanted the
right to vote. Some tribes feared that
they would have to give up their
sovereignty and that the federal
government would deny its treaty
obligations. They thought that it was
just another way of the government
trying to control them and take away
their traditions.
Only a 1/3 of them were eligible to
apply for citizenship under this act,
because the rest already had.
Just because all
Native Americans
were now citizens
did not mean that
all states were
willing to grant
them the right to
vote. It was not
until the middle of
the twentieth
century that
Arizona, New
Mexico, and Maine
finally allowed
them the right to
vote.