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British Colonization of North America
English colonization of what is now the United States began with the first settlement in Jamestown. It is what started it all. -
1790 Alien Naturalization Act
It was the first Naturaization Act enacted by the new US government. It set the frist guidlines for who was granted citizenship. In this act it was "free white males." -
Slave Importing Made Illegal
Congress banned the importing of more slaves, but stated it was still legal to enslave those African Americans who were already present in the US, as well as their children. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty was signed to bring the Mexican-American war to an end. With this treaty the United States gained Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and half of Colorado. Mexicans living in those areas were given a year to decide whether they wanted to keep their Mexican citizenship or become U.S. citizens. Around 80,000 Mexicans decide to become U.S. citizens and the rest of the population moved south to keep their Mexican citizenship. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
This act was signed into law by President Chester A. Arthur. It prohibited any Chinese without family already in the United States from immigrating. This law reduced the number of Chinese immigrants entering the U.S. -
Ellis Island Opens
Ellis Island opened and processed over 12 million in its first 30 years. It was considered the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station until 1954. -
Immigration Act of 1917
The act was made law by the Senate and Congress after getting vetoed by President Woodrow Wilson. It added several more people to the list of those who were banned from the U,S, It also created the designated "Asiatic Barred Zone", a region that included much of Asia and the Pacific Islands from which people could not immigrate. -
Displaced Persons Act of 1948
The act was signed into law by President Harry Truman. It authorized the admission of European displaced persons into the United States for permanent residence, and for other purposes after World War II. -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
This act was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson. It brought the national origins quota, which was said to favor certain immigrant groups over others, to an end. It placed a focus on immigrant skill and family ties to the those already living in the U.S.. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
The Immigration reform and Control Act was signed into law by President Ronals Reagan. The act granted several undocumented immigrants living in the United States at the time. Additionally it required employers to attest to their employees immigration staus, and made it illiegal to hire undocumented immigrants knowingly. -
Arizona SB 1070
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, more commonly known as Senate Bill (SB) 1070, is a legilative act that was passed in Arizona. It caused large amount of controversy due to the fact that it required state law enforement to attempt to determine a person's immigration status during a stop or arrest. Many believed it encouraged racial profiling. -
Governor Jan Brewer's executive order of June 2012
The executive order was signed into affect on August 15, 2012, It was Governor Brewer's response to President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Governor Brewer stated that recieving Deferred Action does not give immigrants "lawful or authorized staus" in the United States and "does not entitle them to any public benefit" with a specific mention of driver's licenses. -
Appeals Court Blocks Governor Brewer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked Governor Jan Brewer's executive order preventing immigrants recieving Deferrment through DACA from receiving public benefits. -
President Obama Announces Immigration Plans
On this night, President Obama addressed the country and explained his plans for immgration. This included an exexutive order that would provide undocumented immigrants with legal presence in the United States if Congress did not act on the issue soon. -
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
Deferred action allowd for undocumented immigrants who met certain criteria to apply for deoprtation deferment in order to be allowed to remian in the United States. In addition it allowed those immigrants to have a work permit. The deferrment requires a renewal every two years. The criteria included having entered the country before their 16th birthday, live continuously in the US since July 2007, be under the age of 31 on June 2012, and never have been convicted of a felony/misdemeanor.
