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First slaves arrive in Jamestown
Slavery began when a Dutch ship carried 20 Africans into Jamestown Virginia. The idea of the morality of slavery was questioned at first but was later over looked. Slaves were exploited and used to grow the tobacco and cotton industries. This date is significant because it marked the beginning of slavery within the colonies and the forced immigration of africans into these colonies which continued to grow greatly between the 17th and 18th centuries. -
The American Revolution
By this this point in the American Revolution, the colonies came together and denounced the authority of Great Britain and the United States of America was created. The earliest settlers immigrated here from Europe and established the idea that America would be a place where men can be free from the rule of a monarchy. -
Naturalization Act of 1790
The 1790 Naturalization Act were a set of guidelines in which citizenship would be granted. This law only extended naturalization to immigrants that were "free white persons of good character," and stated that U.S. born children were natural born citizens. -
Naturalization Act of 1795
The Naturalization Act of 1795 ultimately replaced Naturalization Act of 1790. This act introduced a formal naturalization process, removed the term "natural born" but maintained the minimum requirement that the potential citizen must be "free white persons" -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a series of bills passed to make residency more difficult to obtain. These laws provided the president with the authority to imprison and deport immigrants at will. -
Naturalization Act of 1798
The Naturalization Act of 1798 replaced the Naturalization Act of 1795. This raised the number of years required for immigrants to obtain citizenship to 14 years from its previous 5. -
Naturalization Law of 1802
The Naturalization Law of 1802 stated that the entry of all immigrants must be recorded. Information obtained included names, country of origin, age and other aspects of personal information.It also provided them with official citizenship documentation. This act replaced the Naturalization Act of 1798. -
Lousiana Purchase
The Louisiana purchase occurred under the presidency of Thomas Jefferson in 1803 when the US purchased a large portion of land from the French. The Louisiana purchase was significant because it was a major step and westward expansion. The purchase a double the size of the US and includes the addition of many states and was a major factor in westward immigration from the east. -
Naturalization Act of 1870
The Naturalization Act of 1870 extended the citizenship process to "peoples of african descent" however, it continued to exclude other non-whited such as asians. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act forbid the immigration of Chinese labor workers. This was the first act preventing a specific ethnic group from immigrating. -
Ellis Island Opening
Ellis Island was the passage was that was utilized by more than 12 million immigrants and functioned for over 60 years. It was also a symbol of welcoming immigrants into the country. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression halted the influx of immigrants. Many people went back to their native countries. Mexicans were forced to go back to Mexico and immigration policies became more restrictive. -
Magnuson Act
The Magnuson Act repealed the Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act, allowing some of the Chinese workers residing in the stated to obtain citizenship. -
Immigration Reform Act of 1986
The Immigration Reform Act of 1986 was unlike many immigration laws of the past. Instead of preventing citizenship, this law made it more difficult for illegal immigrants to integrate into society. this law made it illegal for employers to hire illegal immigrants, and allowed immigrants to obtain citizenship by forcing them to pay back taxes. These laws are still more reflective of immigration laws in the modern day -
Arizona Senate Bill 1070
Arizona SB 1070 is a controversial legislative Act that is noted for being one of the most brad and strict immigration laws passed in several decades. This law requires immigrants over the age of 14 to register with government if they desire to stay longer than 30 days. It also functions as a "stop and frisk" type law allowing law enforcement to demand to see paperwork of suspected illegal immigrants.
