US Immigration from 1790 to present day

By KittyCrystal

  • Naturalization Act 1790

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    US Immigration

  • Naturalization Act of 1795 Adds Rules to the Citizenship Process

    Increased the period of residence required for citizenship from 2 to 5 years.
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    Foreign Slave Trade Becomes Illegal

    Protected the foreign slave trade, a major source of immigration.
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    Native Americans Exempted from Naturalization and Forced from Tribal Land

    The Naturalization Act excluded from citizenship not only nonwhite immigrants but also a group of people already here.

  • Homestead Act of 1862 Passed to Encourage Westward Migration

    In 1862, the U.S. Congress offered to sell public lands to citizens and to immigrants at the cost of $1.25 per acre, or less.
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    Chinese Immigration to the United States Increases During the Gold Rush

    Chinese came to the country they called 'Gold Mountain' to participate in the California gold rush, and their numbers grew slowly. Between 1870 and 1880.

  • Naturalization Act Creates Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization

    The procedure began with the filing of a declaration of intention, which recorded the applicant's oath to the clerk of the court that it was his or her bona fide intention to become a citizen of the United States, to reside permanently therein, and to renounce all allegiances to other nations.

  • Angel Island Immigration Station Opens

    Surrounded by public controversy from its inception, the station was finally put into operation in 1910.

  • First Quota Act Becomes Law and Limits the Number of Immigrants from Certain Countries

    In May, 1921, the first of the quota or percentage laws was passed. Being sponsored by the American Legion and American Federation of Labor, it became a law over Wilson's veto.

  • Magnuson Immigration Act of 1943 Allows Chinese to Become US Citizens

    After China became an ally during World War II, the exclusion laws proved to be an embarrassment and were finally repealed by the Magnuson Act in 1943.

  • Asian Exclusion Repeal Act Gives Naturalization Rights to Filipinos and Indians

    World War II finally helped to usher in reforms to the Asian exclusion laws. In response to Japanese ridicule of China for supporting the United States—where the Chinese exclusion provisions were still in effect—Congress repealed the Chinese exclusion act in 1943.

  • Immigration Reform and Control Act

    The Attorney General shall adjust the status of an alien to that of an alien lawfully admitted for temporary residence if the alien meets the following requirements.

  • Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act

    In enacting the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 (80KB) , Congress rewrote provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that pertain to the circumstances under which certain aliens subject to expulsion from the United States may become legal residents.

  • Estimated Number of Unauthorized Immigrants Decreases to 11.6 Million

    T]he number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States declined from 11.8 million in January 2007 to 11.6 million in January 2008.