What legislative measures raised the residency requirement for American citizenship from five years to fourteen?

The correct answer is the Alien and Sedition Act, which was enacted in 1798. This legislation included provisions that increased the residency requirement for immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship from five years to fourteen years. The intent behind this adjustment was to impose stricter controls on immigration during a time of political unrest and to limit the influence of those considered to be potentially disloyal to the nation, particularly immigrants from countries with which the U.S. was at odds.

The Alien and Sedition Acts were part of a larger ideological struggle between the Federalists, who supported strong central government policies, and their opponents. By raising the residency requirement, the government aimed to mitigate the number of new voters who could influence elections, as new citizens often supported the Democratic-Republican Party, which was more sympathetic to immigrant rights.

Other options like Constitutional Amendments, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Bull Moose Act do not pertain to changing residency requirements for citizenship. Constitutional Amendments generally deal with broader rights or governance issues rather than immigration policy, while the Emancipation Proclamation specifically addressed the issue of slavery rather than citizenship requirements directly. The Bull Moose Act, related to the Progressive movement and reforms in the early 20th century, also does