Historically Important Events relating to U.S. immigration

The Naturalization Act

Mar 26, 1790

This act required free white people meet a two-year residency requiremnt in the colonies before becoming a citizen.

Alien and Sedition Act

Jun 25, 1798

This act allows the president to deport people deemed dangerous and increased residency requirement to 14 years.

Slave Immigration Banned

Oct 2, 1808

Banned slaves from being imported into U.S., slave trade continued long after however.

Irish Potato Famine

Oct 5, 1845

At this time in Ireland a horrible period of diesease and mass starvation cause many Irish to emigrate to the United States.

Anti-Coolie Act

Apr 26, 1862

This act was signed in by the California legislature, the most popular immigration region for chinese. This act protected white labor against competition from chinese labor. Essentially this act highly discouraged chinese immigration at that time.

Homestead Act

May 20, 1862

This act offered free plots of land, up to 160 acres, to people willing to settle and farm the land. This attracted many immigrants from Europe over the next few years.

Chinese Exclusion Act

May 6, 1882

This federal law prohibited chinese immigration for ten years.

Immigration Act

Aug 3, 1882

This act levied a 50 cent tax on all immigrants landing in any U.S. port.

Alien Contract Labor Law

Feb 26, 1885

This law prohibited companies from contracting foreigners for cheaper labor.

Geary Act

May 5, 1892

This act extended the ban on chinese immigration originally established by the Chinese Exclusion Act. The ban lasted 10 more years.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Dec 5, 1902

This extended the previous chinese exclusion acts with no termination date.

Naturalization Act

Jun 29, 1906

This act standardized the immigration process, additionally requiring some english for immigration. The act also established the Bureau of Immigration.

Emergency Quota Act

May 21, 1921

This act limited immigration from each country to 3% of the number of people from that country living in the U.S. in 1910. This act severely limited immigration in countries with few people in the U.S. at that time.

Immigration and Nationality Act

Jun 27, 1952

This act prohibited race from being a factor to immigration or citizenship.

U.S. Patriot Act

Oct 26, 2001

This act broadened Immigration and Nationality Act for ineligible for admission and deportable for terrorist activity.