-
First English Colony, Roanoke, established
In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh got a royal charter from Queen Elizabethto start an english colony. After sending Arthur Barlowe explore the region, Raleigh persuaded Elizabeth to dispatch a colonizing expedition to Roanoke. At first the colony flourished, however when the first winter hit the colony Raliegh and many colonists went back to England to get more supplies. in 1590 when they came back they found the colony abandoned. -
Jamestown colony established
In May 1607 the Virginia Company of London settled on a sit on the James River and named it Jamestown. At first since the group was full of wealthy gentlemen and poor leadership, the settlement struggled. However, as John Smith took over things got better and Virgina did not disintegrate and survived. -
Mayflower departs and New England begins
In November 1620, the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Bay. All the men on the boat signed the Mayflower Compact and established the Colony of New Plymouth or Plymouth. -
Massachusetts Bay colonized
In response to the harrasment Puritans were facing in England they created the Masschusetts Bay Company and recieved a charter to colonize Massachusetts Bay. The colony became Puritan-dominated and self-governing. In 1630 eleven ships and seven hundred passangers were sent to Massachusetts under Governor John Winthrop. -
Maryland Colony established
Lord Baltimore, a good friends of the King but also a Catholic, wanted to create an overseas refuge for English Catholics. After being granted a large tract of land east of the Chesapeake Bay Lord Baltimore established the colony of Maryland. -
Carolina Colony established
After the Restoration in England, King Charles granted several English supporters land in America and they created the colony of Carolina. The colony grew rapidly due to offering immigrants fifty-acre land grants for every family member, indentured servant, or slave brought over. -
Pennsylvania established
To pay off an old debt, Charles II granted the last unallocated tract of American territory at the King's disposal to William Penn. Penn wanted to develop this colony as a "holy experiment" for Quakers. -
Immigration to Colonies growing
The eighteenth-century population of the populations grew rapidly. More because of natural increase but also because of immigration. The colonies absorbed 350,00 newcomers, 40 percent of them being slaves. With this came increasing diversity in the colonies as germans, africans, scottish, irish, and dutch settlers immigrated to the colonies. -
Georgia Established
In 1732 Parliament authorized a new colony, Georgia. The land was bought from the Creek Indians by James Oglethorpe. The colony was supposed to be a rufuge for bankrupt but honest debtors. -
End of the War brings Westward Expansion
After the winning the war there was an increase in settlement and administration of western lands. The states surrendered claims to land in the Ohio River and created the Northwest Territory. There was more available cheap land out west and this was very attractive to poorer Americans. -
Burst of Western Expansion
First burst of western expansion came in 1790. This is reflected by the admittance of 4 new states into the Union. Then in the next 10 years only Louisiana was admittedm but then between 1816 and 1821 6 states entered. Ohio's population jumped from 45,000 in 1800 to 581,000 by 1820. Pioneers migrated as families and generally settled along the rivers so navigation was easier. -
Alien and Sedition Acts passed
Because of the tension and fighting with France, American government was trying to taking measures to increase national security. The Alien Enemies Act outlined procedures for determining whether the citizens of a hostile country posed a threat to the US as spies or saboteurs. The Alien Friends Act authorized the the president to expel any foreign residents whose activities he considered dangerous. The Naturalization Act increased the residency requirement for US citizenship from 5 to 14 years. -
Second Great Awakening Inspires Some Americans to migrate and live in Utopian Communities
Based on the hope that individuals could coexist perfectly, intellectuals formed Utopian communities. Brook Farm, New Harmony, Hopedale, Fruitlands, and the famous Oneida Community were all utopian communities that formed during the second great awakening. Inittially a magnet that drew in intellectuals and idlers, the majority of them grew during the econmic choas of the 1830s and 1840s. -
Boston Traders Move West
Between the 1790s and the 1820s, Boston merchants had buils succesful trading post in California where they offered coffee, tea, spices, clothes, and hardware in exchange for French fur. These traders established the earliest outposts on the West Coast. -
The American Settlement of Texas / Empresario System
During the 1820s, Americans began to start settling in the Mexican owned Texas. In 1824, American settlement was encouraged throgh the empresario system. In this system, generous amounts of lands were given to American settlers who recruited other Americans to come to Texas. -
Settlers Advance West
After 1830, settlements pushed west from Ohio and Kentucky into Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. These states provided a different environment for settlers because praries were interrupted with forests. -
American Settlements in California, New Mexico, and Oregon
During the 1840s, California and Oregon attracted Americans hailing from the Mississipi valley. In order to make their claims in Oregon or California, prospective settlers took a fout month long journey often reffered to as the Oregin Trail. Using oxen and covered wagos to transport their belongings, much of the dangerous journey was done on foot. California-bound travlers eventually settled in the Sacremento Valley and Oregon settlers praised the good farmland of the territory. -
Manifest Destiny
The concept of Manifest Destiny, ecouroudged settlers to expand Westward with the promise of economic oppurtunty. Additionaly, as a relut of Manifest Destiny's strong sentiment, Oregon's border was settled at the 49th parallel attracting more settlers to that region. -
The California Gold Rush
Soon after the Guadalup Hidalgo Treaty was signed, gold was found in California attracting a huge of influx of settlers. In 1848, Californias Population was 15,000. Bu 1852, the population was nearly 250,000. The gold attracted miners from all around the wold Including China, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and Hawaii. -
Chinese Immigration
Many Chinese immigrants began to come to the West Coast of America in the mid-1850s. Many settled in California. They were generally unskilled workers and worked in factories or on the railroad for very little pay. For example, many worked to complete the transcontinental railroad. -
The Great Move West
Beginning in 1865, great waves of people including farmers, miners, and traders began to move in great masses toward the Great Frontier. This eventually evolved into families settling permanently in the West, -
Emancipation Stirs Waves of Migration within the Former Confederacy
After the slaves were freed, they had the liberty to moved where they pleased. Some moved from the Upper South to the Deep South and outhwest were planters were in need of labor and payed higher wages.More blacks, however, left for cities and urban center. in th 1860s, the black urban population rose by 75%. -
The New American City
Throughout the late nineteenth century, the job oppurtunities provided by industrialization drew large amounts of immigrants from overseas, and resulted in mass migration from the rural areas in America. In fact, the promise of wages and varying job oppurtunities, resulted in the abondonment of some New England farm towns. As a result , cities popoulations sky rocketed and forty percent of Americans resided in urban centers between 1870-1890. -
Chinese Exlusion Act Passed
Unions did not like the Chinese in America because they would work so cheaply and steal jobs. In 1887 there were riots in San Francisco against the chinese immigrants. The Chinese Exlusion Act was passed by congress in 1882 and placed a 10 year ban on chinese immigration. The ban was made permanent in 1902. -
White Settlers Rush to Oklahoma
Originally set aside for the Native Americans, after gold was found in Oklahoma, the land was opened up to white settlers. Eager and gold hungry, many white settlers made their way into Oklahoma. The 1189 surge of settlers is now reffered to as the "Oklahoma Land Rush". -
The Settlement House Movement Established-Hull House
J. Addams transformed a run-down mansion in Illinois, into a settlement house (Hull House) for recent immigrants in 1889 Offering classes, employment bureaus, legal aid and health care, Contrasting the beliefs of Riis and his followers, Addams and coworkers believed that one needed to take up residence with the poor in order to make a difference. However, immigrants were frustrated because often the immigrant organizations, leaders, & desires for increased political power were overlooked along -
Immigration of "New Immigrants"
In the 1890's large numbers of "new immigrants" came to the US. Southern and Eastern Europeans came to the United States through Ellis Island. These "new immigrants" were attracted by the prospect of a new life in America and made the new workforce that helped drive industrialization. In 30 years the "new immigrants" boosted the United States' foreign-born population by more than 18 million people. -
Jacob Riis-"How the Other Half Lives"
Jaco Riis, orignally of Danish decent, published "How the Other Half Lives" in the 1890s , which exposed the horros of immigarnt-occupied tenement life in New York City throughout the 1880s. The bluntness of the photographs, sparked a reform movement. However, unlike Addams Riis believed that it was the immigrant's lack of self discipline and self control that was at the root of their misfortune. Therefore, Riis approached reform through moral education. -
The Founding of Ellis Island
In order to control the mass amount of immigrants, the federal government founded Ellis Island in New York. Before officially entering the country, prospective immigrants were forceed to undergo a series of tests such as medical and mental exams, before being admitted into the country. -
Formation of the Immigrant Restriction League
In respone to the overwhelming amount of immigrants in America, some prominent Boston Natives formed the Immigrant Restriction League which advocated restriction in order to dilute the moral problems that the immigrants brought with them to urban centers. -
Immigrant Women Enter Workforce
During the Progressive Era, it was not uncoomon for entire families to go to work. In the early 1900s, two thirds of young immigrant women were a part of the work force. -
McKInley Assassination Aroused Renewed Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
On September 6, 1901, President Mckinley was assasinated by Leon Czolgosz. Both an anarchist, and a Polish immigrant, Czolgosz actions jumpstarted a renewed anti-immigrant sentiment amongst the Amerian public, After Mckinley's Death, vice president Theodore Roosevelt was innagurated as President of the United States. -
San Francisco Segregates School Systems-Shools Seperate for Asian Immigrants
In 1906, the San Francisco School System seperated Asian Immigrants from the mainstream school system. This is a reflection of the presiding anti-immigrant sentiment at the time. In response, Japanese residents protested. -
Gentlemen's Agreement
In response to the great prostesting of the Japanese after the school districts were segregated, President Roosevelt persuaded the school administration to retract the segregation policy. However, the policy was reversed onlt because Japan agreed to a "gentlemen's agreement" in which Tokyo stoppped Japanese emmigration to the United States. Despite this, strong anti-immigrant sentiments continued. -
Congressional Immigration Statistics Study Published
In 1911, a congressional comission presented a statistical study that highlighted the dengeneracy of the immigrants. Edward A. Ross, a progressive believed the immigrants to "of obviously loe mentality". Overall, this study is indicative of the critical sentiment towards immigrants during the Progressive Era. -
Japanese Alien Land Ownership Prohibitted
After the "Gentleman's Agreement" was put into action, Japanese racism continued. In 1913, the California State Legislature enacted a law forbidding Japanese aliens to own land. -
Henry Cabot Lodge Attemps to Pass Immigration REstriction Laws
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusstes tried in 1896, 1913, and 1915 to pass literacy test beills that would prohibit any immigrants over the age of sixteen who could not read from entering the nation. Despite his attemps, these bill were all vetoed. -
Anti-German Sentiment Created due to war
Many Americans reacted to the war with hatred of all things German. People with German descent or simply German sympathizers were confronted with acts of sabotage. At times it even went as far as lynching, as happened with German-born Robert Prager. German foods, german books, german music were all banned. -
Blacks Migrate Northward
During the war an estimated half a million blacks migrated northward. European Immigration had nearly stopped because of the war, so now industries were hiring African-Americans to make up for the lack of immigrants. By 1920 1.5 million African Americans were working in factories in Northern America. However, the white laborers soon resented the competition the African Americans brought. Race riots and mobs became more and more common in the north. -
Immigration Restriction Law passed Despite Wilson's Veto
In 1917, one of Henry Cabot Lodge's restriction bills, based on literacy, became law despite President Wilson's Veto. -
Immigrants Subject to Physical Examination
In addition to the literacy tests, many immigrants were subject to periodic physical examinations. Often, actual public helath concerns were confused with the mental and physical sterotypes of different ethnicities and cultures. -
Immigrants Do Very Poorly on Draft IQ Testing
Starting in December 1917 all army recruits were required to undergo intelligence testing. It measured their IQ which helped assign their duties and officer potential. However, the questions asked on the testing mainly just revealed that not many Americans had formal education and cultural sophistication. Only the middle and wealthy classes could do well. Therefore, many immigrants did very poorly and were placed in the lowest positions of the army. -
Immigrants Continue to Contribute to Mass Urban Growth
During the Progressive Era, America became much more of an urban nation. Immigrants continued to be the main source of city growth. Between 1900 and 1917, 17 million immigrants came to America. Mostof them then setteled in cities. The majority of these immigarnts were from Southern and Eastern Europe, but thousands of Mexicans and Chinese immigrated as well during this time. -
Sacco-Vanzetti Case
After two Italian immigrants were accused of robbing and murder. The two were found guilty in 1921 and electrocuted in 1927. Even though they were later proved to be guilted, their fail was unfair because it was tainted with ant-immigrant prejudice and bias. -
Ozawa v. U.S.
The Supreme Court denied a Japenese born student studying at University of California Berkeley citizenship indicating a prevelant anti-immigrant sentiment. -
Japenese Immigrants Rights are Diminished
In 1923 the Supreme Court upheld a law limiting Japenese immigrants rights to leasing and owning farmland. -
Supreme Court Denies Indian Man Elidgibilaiy under the Nationality Act of 1790
In 1923, the Supreme Court denied an Indian man's claim that he was caucasion and therefore elidgible to the limited naturalized citezenship to "free white persons" underneath the Nationality Act of 1790. The justices reached the conclusion by decalring that the founders had intended the Act at "only the type of man whom they knew as white...[those] from the Briish Isles and northwestern Europe. -
The National Origens Act of 1924
The National Origens at of 1924 restricted the number of annual immigrant to two percent of the specific nationality in 1890. Aimed at southern and eastern Europeans, Coolidge adressed th situation by stating "Anerica must be kept American." -
Border Control Created
Border Control was created in 1925 to prevent illegal imggrants from entering the United States-especially after the great influx of American immigrants. -
Adjustment to The National Origens Act of 1924
In 1929, Congress altered the base lin for determing nationally origin to 1920 rather than 1890. However, the number of immigrant levels still remained very low. This is indicative of the rising prevlence of white-protestant citizens in immigrant citizens. During this time, the immigrant levels dropped from 1.2. million in 1914 to 280,000 in 1929. -
Illegal Immigration becomes a Criminal Offense
In 1929, Congress declared illegal entrance into the country to be a criminal offense. -
Dust Bowl Forces Farmers to Migrate Out of Great Plains
In the 1930's drought struck the Great Plains. The poorly taken care of topsoil soon began to get swept up in what became dust storms and known as the Dust Bowl. Soil became infertile and impossible to farm. People were forced to abandon their homes and move further west to California or to nearby cities. Nearly 3.5 million people left the Great Plains in the 30's. -
Hispanic-American Immigrants hit hard in Depression
The Hispanic-American population had grown to more than 2 million in the United States. Many had recentley immigrated from Mexico or Caribeean Islands. Mexican newcomers generally worked in the southwest as migrant farms and the ones coming from the Caribbean settled in East Coast cities. However, during the depression they faced discrimination and it was especially hard for them to find jobs. Half a million mexicans even returned to Mexico. -
Rush of Mexican Immigrants to the U.S.
Political choas and and extreme poverty drove aproximatley 2 million mexican-borns to the United States, primarily in the southwest. Many were migrant workers, but some also worked in the automobile, steel and railroad industries. They formed Mexican American institutions who ignored the southwest Migrant Workers. -
Congress Limits immigrants From Phillipines
In 1934, Congress set an annual quota of 50 for immigrants coming in from the Commonwealth of the Philippines. -
Migration of Blacks from the South
During the war over seven hundred thousand blacks moved from the South to cities.This turned racism and the African-American problem into a national concern. However in Northern cities blacks were able to vote and the black voting block now became somewhat significant in determining who won. -
Native Americans Migrate from Reservations
During the war, many Native American left their reservations to work in defense industries mainly on the West Coast. It was the first time many had lived in the real world, and average income of Native American households tripled. -
St Louis and Jewish Refugees
Due to the mistreatment they were facing in Germany, many Jewish Refugees fled Germany in hopes of a better life. The St. Louis was packed with 900 Jewish refugees that arrived on the coast of Florida, asking for permission to release the passsenger and Ft. Lauderdale. The immigration officials refused the request and forced the ship to turn back towards Germany. Luckily, they were able to land in other countries in Europe. -
Huge Internal Migration Due to War
Due to various reasons, the war caused vast internal migration in America. Over 15 million men moved due to military service. Others moved to secure economic oppurtunities. For example, many jobs opened up in the Bay Area and in the aircraft industry in California. Additionally, 6 million people left farms to work in urban areas. -
Braceros
In July 1942, the US government negotiated with Mexico to import braceros, or temporary workers to relieve labor shortages in agriculture. While they were only given temporary contracts that only allowed them to stay in the US for a short period of time--this created an increase in illegal immigration to the US. -
The Bracero Program
New Irrigations Systems stimulated a demand for cheap, Mexican Labor in the early fifties. In response to the great influx of immigrants, Congress reinforced the "temporary worker" program which brought in seasonal farm laborers called braceros. However, although the braceros were supposed to return to Mexico after their designated season most stayed illegally. -
Operation Wetback
During the recession of 1953-1955, Eisenhower deported aproximatley 3 million allegedly undocumented Mexican immigrants. However, the action was not at all successful as millions continued to cross the ill-guarded border illegally. -
Voluntary Relocation Program
In order to entice Native Americans off of reservations and into Urban areas, the federal government established the Voluntary Relocaation Program. This provided Native Americans with moving costs, some living expenses, and aid in searching for jobs and homes. By 1960, 60,000 reservation Indians had relocated to Urban centers. -
Poor Huddle in Decaying Urban Slums
Displaced southern blacks and Appalachian whites, Natvive Americans froced off ouf their reservations, and recently arrived Latin-American immigrants filled the cities inadequate facilities. To be more specific, two hundred thousand Mexican-Americans assembled in San Antononio's Westside barrio. -
Steady Stream of Puerto Rican Immigrants
Between 1940 and 1970, the United States saw a consitenct, heavy flow of Puerto Rican immigrants to the country. Because Puerto Rican citizens were technically considered to be American citizens, there immigration had no limitatuins. Many Puerto Ricans facced tensions amongst themselves as they struggled to embrace the American Culture while remembering their Puerto Rican roots. -
Immigration Act of 1965
The Immigration Act passed as part of Johnson's Great Society ended the discriminatory system of national-origins quotas that had been previously established in 1924. Because of this, legal immigration would increase from a quarter of a million before thr act to well over a million every year. 400,00 cubans were able to enter the country. In just 5 years, the Chinese, Koreans, and Filipinos that immigrated to the US doubled.This immigration expanded America's multi-cultural characteristics. -
Haight-Ashbury becomes Hippy Haven
A time where counterculture was prevelant, the Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco became the epicenter of the hippy movement starting in 1965. Some of America's youth, curious about exploring the alternate, care-free lifestyle, migrated to San Francisco temporarily during this time. -
New Patterns of Immigration
From th 1970s to 2000, American population grew from 204 million people to 275 million people. This reflects the steady influx of both ilegal and legal immigration. 45% of these immigrants came from the Western Hemisphere and 30% came from Asia. In the 1990s illegal immigration was estmated to be as high as 12 million . -
Las Raza advocates for Spanish Interests
La Raza, the largest Hispanic advicacy groups, adressed problems and promotes Hispanic Americans. By the early 1990s, California had 4,000 hispanics holding public office. -
Rethinking Citizenship in an Era of Diversity
As immigration increased, the phenomenon of white flight continued. When an inlux of immigrants moved to cities, native-born whites tended to move out, This raised an uncertainty of what defined an American as racial and ethnic differences were isolating. -
Blacks Move from the North to the South
From 1990 to 1995, 370,000 Blacks moved fron the North to the South strengthening the prosperous, vlack middle class i southern cities such as Atlanta. -
California sees Increase In Asian Population
In Fremont, California the Asian population icreased dramatically from 19% in 1990 to 37% in 2000. As a whole, Asians sought after assimalation and many worked as engineers or businesspeople in the Silicon Valley. -
The Dangers of Illegal Immigration
Because of its proximaty to the border, many Mexicans immigrated illegaly into the United States. This proved to be very dangerous as hypothermia, dehydration, and exposure all caused death among people in their journey to the U.S. -
Amexica
in June of 2001, "Time" Magazine dedicated a special issue to America- a Southwestern border region. The areas surrounding the border of America and Meico began developing a vubrant culture and lifestyle. -
2000 Census Reveals Growing Racial and Ethnic Diversity
At the end of the century, it was revelaed the the U.S. population was 13% Hispanic, 12% African American, 4% Asian, and 1% American Indian.
