Continuity & Change in America: Immigration & Business Enterprise
-
First Bank of the U.S.
First Bank of the U.S. stabilized and improved the nation’s credit after the Revolutionary War. It also established a standard form of currency. -
Tariff of 1816
A protective tariff that helped American industry by raising the prices of British goods which were often cheaper and higher quality than those of the U.S -
Tariff of Abominations
The tariff of Abominations intended to protect American industry from the British, who were flooding the manufacturing markets with artificially low prices. However, it ends up antagonizing southerners, who believe that the subsequent price hike in raw materials was not worth the protection of American industries -
Bank of the United States
President Jackson vetoes the bill to recharter the Bank of the United States. Jackson was a very outspoken opponent of concentrated government power and despised the idea of the use of paper money. After the political defeat of presidential candidate Henry Clay in the 1832 election, Jackson completely disbanded the Bank of the United States. -
Period: to
Civil War
The ontset of the Civil War saw the Republican party taking full control of Congress. As such, a nationalistic program intended to promote economical development was promptly passed. A key factor in the program was the instatement of several tariff bills that raised duties to the highest level in American history, helping fund the budding industries at the time. At the end of the war, several National Banking Acts were passed instituting a new Banking system by which existing or new banks could -
Munn v. Illinois
Illinois merchants were upset with the high existing railroad rate policies. In response, the Illinois State Constitution stated that “Private property affected with the public interest must submit to being controlled by the public for good.” -
Immigration Act of 1882
Congress passed a new Immigration Act that stated a 50 cents tax would be enacted on all aliens landing at United States areas. An act in which the State Commission and officers were in charge of checking the passengers upon incoming vessels arriving in the U.S. The passengers were examined by a set of specific standards. Upon inspection passengers who aappeared to be convicts, lunatics, idiots or unable to take care of themselves were not allowed on land. -
Wabash, St.. Louis & Pacific Railway Co. v. Illinois
Federal ruling that States themselves could not regulate commerce beyond the extent of their respective borders. Only Congress itself could regulate interstate trade. -
Interstate Commerce Commision
Formation of the Interstate Commerce Commission to monitor railroad activities in and out of the US. -
Free Immigration
Free immigration was mostly opposed during the pre World War 1 era. Literacy tests helped to keep immigration numbers lower than they could have been. -
Scott Act
In 1902, the Scott Act extended the Chinese Exclusion Act, indefinitely suspending Chinese immigration. -
Immigration Act of 1913
The Immigration Act of 1903 restricted even more people from coming to the U.S. including anarchist, people with epilepsy, beggars, and importers of prostitutes. -
Naturalization Act of 1906
The Naturalization Act of 1906 stated that, if someone wanted to live in the U.S., they had to renounce their citizenship in whatever country they immigrated from. They would also be expected to swear allegience to the U.S. -
Immigration Act of 1907
The Immigration Act of 1907 was a series of reforms aimed at the increasing number and groups of immigrants coming into the U.S. before World War I. The act introduced and reformed a number of restrictions on immigrants who could be admitted into the United States, most memorable ones regarding disability and disease. -
1913, End of Great Depression
In this year, the Great Depression was on its last leg in the states, and America was on the slow road to recovery. Also, the second World War began in Europe. -
16th Amendment
The 16th Amendment is ratified, allowing the Federal government to collect and impose income taxes. -
WWI
1914 saw the beginning of the first World War (WWI), which would be a major contributing factor to the second World War (WWII). -
Immigration Act of 1917
The Immigration Act of 1917 restricted the immigration of 'undesirables' from other countries, including "idiots, imbeciles, epileptics, alcoholics, poor, criminals, beggars, any person suffering attacks of insanity, those with tuberculosis, and those who have any form of dangerous contagious disease, aliens who have a physical disability that will restrict them from earning a living in the United States". -
Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants allowed enter into the United States through a national origins quota. This provided immigration visas to two percent of the total number of people of each nationality in the United States as of the 1890 national census. It completely discriminated immigrants from Asia. -
National Origins Act
Limited the number of immigrants allowed enter into the United States through a national origins quota. This provided immigration visas to two percent of the total number of people of each nationality in the United States as of the 1890 national census. It completely discriminated immigrants from Asia. -
Great Depression
The Great Depression, caused by the stock market crash of 1920, ushered in the new decade. Cities dependant on heavy industry saw the worst of it, but almost everyone in America was affected in some way or another. -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (The McCarran-Walter Act)
Ended Asian exclusion from immigrating to the United States and introduced a system of preferences based on skill sets and family reunification. Concerns that the restrictive quota system heavily favored immigration from Northern and Western Europe therefore created resentment against the United States in other parts of the world. Foreign policy is tied in with Americas Immigration policy. -
The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 (also known as the Hart-Celler Act)
Abolished an earlier quota system based on national origin and established a new immigration policy based on reuniting immigrant families and attracting skilled labor to the United States. Immigrants entering the United States under the new legislation came increasingly from countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, as opposed to Europe.