[RBayer]

If a non-american citizen fought in the civil war, would they automatically become citizens or would they still need to apply?

Thanks

[Wondergirl]

The only question was if women and blacks should be considered citizens. (There weren't immigrants pouring in back then, especially to fight in the Civil War.) The Fourteenth Amendment (1868) granted citizenship to all people, including former slaves, born or naturalized in the United States.

[tomder55]

Wondergirl is correct about the 14th Amendment . However there was a sizable contingent of immigrants who fought in the war ;especially on the Union side where immigrants represented apx.25 percent of the Union Army.

It is estimated that over 400,000 immigrants served with the Union Army. This included 216,000 Germans and 170,000 Irish soldiers.

Civil War: European Recruits

I think the answer to your question is that in the US ,beyond general guidelines voting is a Federalism issues decided by the individual states. Back during the civil war era many of the new states and future states enticed immigrants to settle there using alien suffrage as an incentive;many with the only provision being their intent to become citizens.

This was pretty much the trend until around the 1880s .Today to my knowledge no State permits it ,but there are seven jurisdictions in the United States that allow it ,and there is an effort in some states and cities to restoring immigrant voting.