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Alien and Sedition Acts
Alien and Sedition Acts required 14 years of residency before citizenship and provided for the deporation of "dangerous" aliens. -
The Great Famine
Irish of all classes emigrate to the United States as a result of the potato famine. -
Dred Scott Decision
A United States Supreme Court decision that declared free African Americans non-citizens -
The 14th Amendment
African Americans gained citizenship after the passing of the 14th Amendment. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Signed into law by president Arthur, this is the first time the United States banned immigration on ethnic origin. -
Alien Contract Labor Law
An act that prohibited the importation and migration of foreigners and aliens under contract or agreement to preform labor in the United States. -
Ellis Island
Ellis Island opens as the first federal immigration station for immigrants entering from the East Coast. -
Angel Island
Known as the "Ellis Island in the West," Angel Island first began construction in 1905 and started operating in 1910 as an immigration center Chinese immigrants. -
The Immigration Act
First permanet immigration law that allowed each nation a number of visas equal to two percent of its population in the United States. -
The Magnuson Act
Passed two years after China became an offical allied nation to the United States during WWII, the Magnuson Act repealed the 1882 Chinese Exclusion act and allowed residents of China to immigrate to the United States. -
The War Brides Act
Allowed alien spouses, natural children, and adopted children of the United States military personnel to enter into the United States as non-quota immigrants after WWII. -
The Displaced Persons Act
The Displaced Persons Act allowed Europeans displaced by the war to enter the United States outside of immigration quotas. -
Immigration and Nationality Act
An act that was passed during the height of the Cold War to limit immigration from Southern and Eastern European nations. -
The Patriot Act
An act that was passed in the wake of the 9-11 attacks to widen the scope of non-citizens that could be deported. The goal was to strengthen domestic security. -
The Dream Act
This bill was first introduced in August 2001 to provide people brought by the United States illegally as children, a chance at becoming citizens of the only country many of them know. Unfortunately, this bill has been reintroduced several times but has failed to pass.
