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Slaves First Introduced to America
Slavery in America
In 1619, the Dutch introduced the first captured Africans to America, creating a system slavery system that would not be remedied for centuries. -
Independence Day
The History of America’s Independence Day
The Colonies' Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and formed a committee whose express purpose was drafting a document that would formally sever their ties with Great Britain. -
Naturalization Act of 1790
About the Act
The Naturalization Act set the criteria for naturalization to: two years of residency, being a free white person, proof of good moral character, and an oath to support the Constitution. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts
These laws gave the power to deport foreigners as well as making it harder for new immigrants to vote. -
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Potato Famine drives 1.5 million to U.S.
Irish Potato Famine
The famine killed over a million people in Ireland and caused another million to flee the country. Becuase Ireland was an agricultural nation the famine was disasterous. -
The Gold Rush leads to an Influx in Population on the West Coast
The Gold Rush
The discovery of gold in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 created the Gold Rush, one of the most significant events to shape American history. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Impacts
The treaty ended the Mexican-American War and added an additional 525,000 square miles to United States. -
Ellis Island Opens as an Immigration Station
Fact Sheet
Ellis Island in New York was the first federal immigrant processing station, processing over 12 million people between 1892 and 1954. -
Angel Island Opens
Imigration Station
For 30 years the Angel Island Immigration Station, in San Francisco Bay, processed 1 million Asian immigrants entering into the US. -
Arizona Becomes a State
Statehood
The Grand Canyon state was the last of the continental US states to achieved statehood. -
United States Border Patrol Established
Border Patrol History
"The United States Border Patrol is an American federal law enforcement agency. Its mission is to detect and prevent illegal aliens, terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States, and prevent illegal trafficking of people and contraband." -
Mendez v. Westminster
Righting a Wrong
Mendez v. Westminister was a federal court case that challenged racial segregation in schools in Orange County, California. It was the first ruling in the United States in favor of desegregation. -
Displaced Persons Act
About the Act
The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 authorized the admission into the United States of certain displaced Europeans for permanent residence after World War II. -
Immigration and Nationality Act
Immigration and Nationality Act, a.k.a. the Hart-Celler Act
This act abolished a quota system based on national origin and established a new immigration policy based on reuniting immigrant families and attracting skilled labor to the United States. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
The Act
"At the time, the Immigration and Naturalization Service estimated that about four million illegal immigrants would apply for legal status through the act and that roughly half of them would be eligible." -
The Immigration Act of 1990
The Immigration Act
The act increased total, overall immigration to allow 700,000 immigrants to come to the U.S. between 1992 - 1994, and 675,000 per year after that. -
Arizona's Controversial SB1070
SB1070
"The bill requires police to determine the immigration status of someone arrested or detained when there is reasonable suspicion they are not in the U.S. legally."
