The first naturalisation law passed in 1790 by the new country's Congress said citizenship was for any "free white person" of good character.

xNew York: When he first came to the United States after escaping civil war in Sierra Leone and spending almost a decade in a refugee camp, Dauda Sesay had no idea he could become a citizen. But he was told that if he followed the rules and stayed out of trouble, after some years he could apply. As a US citizen, he would have protection. It's what made him decide to apply: the premise – and the promise – that when he became a naturalised American citizen, it would create a bond between him and his new home. He would have rights as well as responsibilities, like voting, that, as he was making a commitment to the country, the country was making

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