THIS DAY AT LAW
Today in legal history...

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

US Supreme Court ruled Indians not US citizens

On November 3, 1884, the US Supreme Court ruled in Elk v. Wilkins that John Elk, an Indian who had tried to vote in a federal election in Omaha, Nebraska, was not a US citizen entitled to the protection of the 14th and 15th Amendments of the US Constitution. Native Americans became eligible for citizenship in 1887 under the Dawes Act, but only in 1924, under the Indian Citizenship Act, were all Native Americans born in the US made citizens.

Dawes Act, 1887



Link post | IM post | go to JURIST | © JURIST, 2004


LATEST DAYS

 President Harding signed "anti-beer bill"
November 23, 2009

 Convention on Cybercrimes opens for signature
November 23, 2009

 UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in Six Days' War
November 22, 2009

 President Kennedy assassinated, VP Lyndon Johnson sworn inin
November 22, 2009

 Women's rights activists founded NOW
November 21, 2009

 click for more...

CONTACT

This Day at Law welcomes reader comments, tips, URLs, updates and corrections. E-mail us at JURIST@pitt.edu