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10,000 BCE
Bering Straight Migration
The first humans to enter the North American continent, used a patch of thick ice, called the Bering Straight, to cross from Europe. -
Jan 1, 1000
Vikings
Vikings arrived. -
Oct 12, 1492
Columbus sails the ocean blue
Exploration of the American continent began with the "discovery" of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. -
Slaves
Slaves had begun to be brought over to the United States in 1619 for the agricultural economy of the American colonies. -
Naturalization Act
Congress passes the Naturalization Act, which says "…any alien, being a free white person, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States..." -
Abolition of Slave Trade
Congress puts an end to the Slave Trade in 1808. -
Period: to
Potato Famine
The Great Famine in Ireland led to many fleeing the country to come to the United States in search of a better life. -
Period: to
Chinese Influx
Chinese Immigration into the United States began after the California Gold Rush. -
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
This piece of legislation heavily restricted Chinese immigration into the United States. -
1891 Immigration Act
This act said that certain classes of individuals were unfit to become American citizens, such as "idiots, insane persons, and paupers". -
Immigration Act of 1924
This was a law that limited the annual number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country. -
Displaced Persons Act of 1948
This piece of legislation was enacted after WW2, due to the amount of people being displaced. It allowed for a limited amount of time, for these people to be admitted into the United States. -
Hart Celler Act
This signaled a change in attitudes toward who could immigrate into the United States, leading to a huge increase in Asian immigration. -
Immigration Act of 1990
This act allowed 700,000 immigrants to come to the U.S. per year through 1992–1994, and 675,000 per year after that -
Real ID Act
After September 11, security became a major concern when it came to immigration into the United States.
