to join the republic, if they assimilated to the values of the government. Liberia's first Naturalization Act was passed on 27 January 1876, and provided for foreigners who were of good character and who had lived in the territory for three years to be admitted as nationals if they renounced other loyalties and took an Oath of Allegiance to Liberia. To prevent European acquisition of territory in Liberia during the Scramble for Africa (1880–1890), the Republic built a series of forts to protect a chain of settlements which had been established after their earlier explorations. Nonetheless, both Britain and France, annexed land in the territory, attaching it to Sierra Leone and Niger, respectively. From 1904, the government shifted its policies toward the indigenous people from assimilation to indirect rule, allowing the Liberian Frontier Force and chieftains of the interior latitude to administer the territory beyond Monrovia. In 1908, a new Naturalization Law was drafted adding provisions that the applicants must be Negro, must be at least twenty-one years old, and must lack a criminal record. Under the Law of 8 February 1922, nationality in Liberia was derived by Negro persons as long as, they were a child born in Liberia, whose parent did not have diplomatic immunity; a child born abroad to a Liberian father, who was temporarily abroad and would be returning to Liberia; the wife of a Liberian; and naturalized persons, which included their wives and minor children. Non-Negros were prohibited from becoming nationals of the territory and women who married foreigners lost their Liberian status, but could repatriate upon termination of the marriage. Under the 1922 Law dual nationality was prohibited. A Supreme Court decision in Williams v. Young and an opinion issued by the Attorney General of Liberia on 18 December 1922, determined that denaturalization of a woman by marriage to a foreigner was unconstitutional and that her status could not be changed without her consent. From the 1930s, international pressure was exerted upon the Liberian Government to reform its policies regarding its indigenous people. Finally in 1945, their status was changed from being non-citizen nationals of the republic and the Liberian Constitution was amended to extend the franchise to all African males, upon reaching their majority, who paid their hut tax. Though a new Naturalization law had been passed in 1938, the various laws concerning nationality were not codified until the passage of the Aliens