Expatriation Act of 1907

The Expatriation Act of 1907 clarified how U.S. citizenship could be lost, particularly for Americans living abroad, married women, and children born outside the country. It declared that Americans who became naturalized citizens of another country, took a foreign oath of allegiance, or lived abroad for extended periods could lose their citizenship. Critically, American women automatically lost their citizenship if they married foreign men, adopting their husband's nationality or, in some cases, becoming stateless. This led to loss of rights, including voting, employment, and legal protections. Women could only regain citizenship through specific conditions, such as their husband’s naturalization or termination of the marriage. Prominent suffragists like Harriot Stanton Blatch were directly affected. Though repealed by the Nationality Act of 1940, the law’s legacy endured, prompting a 2014 Senate resolution expressing regret for its discriminatory impact.