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Alien and Sedition Acts
Alien and Sedition Acts required 14 years of residency before citizenship and provided for the deportation of "dangerous" aliens. In 1800 it was changed to a five year residency period. This began the idea that we had to conrol who entered our country. -
Dred Scott Ruling
This supreme court decision said that all African-Americans, free or not, could not and would never be U.S. citizens. It also declared the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional, thus permiting slavery in all of the country's territories. -
Transcontinental Railroad Construction
From 1863-1869 the Central Pacific Railroad hired Chinese laborers and the Union Pacific Hired Irish laborers to build the first transcontinental railroad. This encouraged the idea that these immigrants were below current U.S. citizens-they were doing the work that no one else wanted to do. -
State Immigration Laws Become Unconstitutional
From 1875-1880 the case of Henderson v. Mayor of New York was brought up to the U.S. Supreme Court and it was ruled that states do not have the power to make immigration laws. This power falls to the federal government. -
First "Great Wave" Of Europen Immigrants
During the 1880s the U.S. saw an explosion of immigrants from European countries. Situations in Europe made people want to seek refuge in the United States. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Chinese Exclusion Act was the first major law restricting immigration and was enacted out of economic fear especially on the West-Coast. It halted Chinese immigration and prohibited Chinese immigrants from becoming citizens for a period of ten years. -
Contract Labor Law
This law prohibited U.S. individuals and organizations from entering into labor contracts with people coming to America via sea travel. This didnot pertain to people come came via land borders, thus immigrants from Mexico could enter the U.S. under labor contracts. -
Bureau of Immigration Established
The Bureau of Immigration was established to control the inflow of immigrants. Individuals who were monetarily dependent on others for their travel were turned away as were other people who did not meet the criteria. -
Anarchist Exclusion Act Enacted
In 1903 immigratntions were restriced based on the political beliefs. This continues the restrictions on immigrants to the United States and sets unsettling presenets. -
"The Melting Pot" opens on Broadway
The play "The Melting Pot" opens on Broadway and becomes a metaphor for the U.S. The idea the America is a place where everyone melts together has stuck around for a long time. -
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution drove thousands of Mexican immigratant across the U.S.-Mexican border. Many of them ended up in the Southern part of the U.S. -
First Quota Act
The act limitedimmigrants from Europe, Australia, Africa, New Zealand, Asiatic Turkey, Persia, and certain islands of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to 3 percent of the number of foreign-born of such nationalities residing here when the 1910 census was taken... -
Franklin D. Roosevelt Signs Executive Order 9066
Executive Order 9066 sent ten of thousands of Japanese American to interment camps. This promote the idea that these immigrants were less than other immigrants. -
Arizona SB 1070
Senate Bill 1070 was passed, but there was much debate around it. It caused a lot of controversy and made Arizona the spotlight for awhile. -
9/11 Attacks
The events of 9/11 prompted an increase in security measures at airports. It raised suspecions of people of Middle-Eatern descent.
