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Slave Trade
JamestownThis year marks the start of the slave trade in the early American colonies. It was in this year, in Jamestown Virginia, that the British sold 20 (the first of many) Africans captured and taken from their homelands for the sole purpose of slavery. This would have a consequential impact for many decades -
Alien and Sedition Acts
Transcript of ActsThese acts were comrpised of four seperate bills put through by the Federalist led Conress and signed into law by President Adams. Essentially these acts allowed the President to deport or retain aliens if the U.S. was at war with their homeland, or if he deemed them to be a harm to society or the peace of the nation, this includes any form a defamation of the government vocally, written or in any other form. The acts also increased the 2 year residency rule to upwards from 5-14 years. -
Immigration Act / Transcontinental Treaty
TranscontinentalIn 1819 two significant events occured, The Immigration Act of 1819 (a.k.a. Steerage Act) created standards for the transport of immigrants into the United States as well as creating a documentation system. In the Transcontinental Treaty ( a.k.a Purhcae of Florida) divided up the land, basically Spain relinquished Florida (and later Oregon) in trade for Texas. -
Treaty of Gaudalupe
Treaty This year marks the end of the United States - Mexican war as both countries sign and agree to the Treaty of Gaudalupe-Hidalgo. This treaty tranfers a larger portion of territory from Mexican ownership to that of the United States. In this treaty the Mexican nationals on the state's side of the border were now protected under our prpert and civil rights laws with excemption of land grants. -
Gold Fever
Chinese immigration1849 was marked by the hieght of the gold rush that began in the prior year. 1849 spurred more than just a gold rush, it also sparked an immigration rush, specifically by the Chinese. The flow of Chinese immigrants from this time period will pose some interesting issues of immigration in later years with the exclusion act. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Exclusion Act In the years leading up to 1882, specificcaly during the gold rush, immigration to the Unites States increased drastically. With this increase of immigrants came the issue concering lack of employment and any form of wage competition for nautral born citizens, there was simply an influx of immigrants willing to work for less, specifcally the numerous Chineise that arrived after the gold rush. Thus the Chinese Excluson Act we inacted halting immigration to the U.S, by Chinese nationals only. -
Contract Labor Law
PDF detailIt has now become illegal to "import" by sea unskilled workers for the sole purpose of labor on Ameican soil. This directly coinscied with the increased lack of work and opportunity national citizens are faced. -
English Only Please
New StipulationsA basic knowledge of the Enlgish language was now a requirement for those requesting naturalization. -
Border Patrol
CreationThis year marks the move to an organized border patrol. In prior years this duty was not top priority as time and resources were simply not available to maintain such vast distances. In March of 1915, per the authorization of Congress, the first group of border patrolmen was put to work. They were military trained. Their main duty was border inspections (at stations) along with random patrols of the border to police illegal entry. With the creation of this group also comes an awareness of owne -
Bracero Program
http://www.farmworkers.org/bracerop.html Another period in time that the United Stated "bent" the rules of our borders for economic and agriculture needs. Certainly not quite as reflective as the days of slavery but when looking close there were indeed many similarities in regards to treatment and civil rights of those corssing the border to help us while also helping their own families. -
Repeal of the Chiniese Excluson Act
Nearly 60 years after the Chinese Excluson Act was put in place the Magnuson Act of 1943 repealed the law. The repeal was created due to China's role as one of our strongest allies during World War II. The repeal was not witohut stipulations, it did not lead to open immiration but rather set a yearly quota of just over 100 immigrants entry per year. -
Immigration and Nationality Act
As the nation recovered from war economic growth lead to the inactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This essentially increased th quota if immigratns allwed entry into the U.S. as well as imposing restrictions on those arriving with British ties. -
Refugee Act
This act repealed portions of prior immigration acts, citing that those under special circumstances, i.e. humanitarian need due to life or death dangers in their home nations would be offered assistance in completeing resettlement into the United States. -
Immigration Act revisited
The 1990 Immigration Act was set in place to limit the amount of workers allowed to enter the U.S. without hindering the prosperity of legal citizens, This act allowed a specified number of unskilled and skilled workersto immigrate while attempting to ensure proper balance among natural citizens. -
Increased illegal immigration
The passing of NAFTA is beleived oto be the driving force for the influx of illegal immigration into the United States, specifcallty into Arizona, during this year. It appears that with NAFTA the increased subsidixed foods entering to Mecian market places had devastatin conseqeunces on small farmers and workers who simply could not compete. -
9/11
The airline terror attacks carried out by foreign nationals marks a significant period when immigration policy would both tighten and become the focus of civl rights (racial profiling). This year emphasized the importance of securing borders and tracking entries and the enforcement of our entry exit laws. -
Patriot Act
Since 911 all eyes were on the safety of our naiton in terms of illegal immigration. The Patriot Act sparked by fear and anger made the move ot allow more indepth scrutiny and tactics of tracking immigrants. This would also spark a divide within the naiton as to just how far agencies should and could go without creating hostility such as that towards Presidents Bush famous words "you are with us or against us".
