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Great English Migration
The Great English Migration began in 1620 and continued on through the 1640s. The Puritans were one f the groups of people that took part in this migration. There was over 70,000 people that took part in this migration from Great Britain to America. It is said that over twice as many Puritans immigrated to the West Indies as to New England. -
The Puritans
The Puritans immigrated to New England in the 1630s for many reasons. One reason was to escape the poltical repression by the monarchs of the British government. They also wanted to find new economic opportunities and avoid an economic recession that was bound to happen in their home country. The Puritans' religious practices were put down and restricted. They felt that by going to a new world they would be able to express their beliefs without persecution. -
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Immigration policies/internal migration
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Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 set a boundary along the Appalachian Mountains beyond which the colonies were not permitted to cross. It is said that it was a failed attempt at preventing conflicts with trans-Appalachian Indians. -
Migration to Appalachia
As the American Indian population was being defeated by the colonies, immigrants moved into the Appalacjia area. These immigrants included the Scotch-Irish, German, and English. British colonists were motivated to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains by the low price and the availability to land. -
The Irish
Ireland had the largest number of immigrants to the United States during the beginning of the 19th century. The main reason they fled the country was because of the potato famine that plagued the population. The majority of the immigrants settled in urban cities on the east coast and worked on canal and railroad construction projects. They immigrated during the first half of the nineteenth century; 1800-1850) -
The Germans
Germany supplied the second-largest number of immigrants to the United States. They fled Germany to get away from the political downfall that was happening in their homeland. They immigrated during the first half of the nineteenth century; 1800-1850) -
The Know-Nothing Party
The Know-Nothins were the first nativist political party in America. They directed their hostility against Catholic immigrants from Ireland and Germany. (They immigrated during the first half of the nineteenth century; 1800-1850) -
Exodusters' Migration
Exodusters were African Americans who wished to aboid the violence of the Reconstruction of the South in 1879 and 1880. They generally migrated to Kansas because it was safe and easily accessible land. -
New Immigrants
In the beginning of the 1880's, a big wave of immigrants came to America from Europe. Unlike like usual, they travelled from small villages and towns in Eastern and Southern Europe from countries like Russia, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Poland. The Northeast was the most popular area for such immigrants to settle upon arriving in America. Sometimes people also settle in the midwest, but rarely did anyone settle in the South. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was signed into law by Chester A. Arthur on May 8th, 1882. It was the first law in America that excluded a group based on its ethnic background. The act was strongly supported by working-class Americans in prohibiting the immigration of Chinese to America. They supported this because the Chinese immigrants would take their job opportunities. -
Nativist Oppositions to New Immirgants
In the end of the 19ths century and the beginning of the 20th century, nativists displayed strong opposition to the new waves of immigration. Nativism is defined as the opposition to change in the native culture so they would oppose immigration greatly. New immigrants practiced different religions, had different languages/cultures, were willing to work for low wages and therefore would take away oppotunitites for Americans, and they were not familiar with the American political system. -
Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907
This agreement was between the US and Japan. Japan would not allow anymore emigration to the United States as the US would not put any restrictions on the Japanese immigrants and students. They did this so there would be no tension between the nations. The Agreement was never ratified in Congress and ended in 1924. -
The Black Migration
As immigration increased and World War 1 began to unvail, the African American population began to migrtae more toward the cities of the North and the West in search for work in the urban communities. -
Immigration Act of 1917
The Immigration Act of 1917 increased the entry fee for immigrating to the United States to $8. It also excluded people from admission is they were: idiots, imbiciles, alcoholics, anarchists, disease-ridden, epileptics, criminals, mentally handicapped, beggers, physically disabled, etc. Such restrictions made immigrating harder. The United States wanted to reduce the number of immigrants. -
National Origins Formula
The National Origins Formula was a system of immigration quotas set up to maintain a healthy balance of ethnicities in Ameica from 1921-1965. There were many additions in order to support the ratios and proportion of the population in relation to ethnicity.This was the other immigration regulations present during this time span besides the Immigration Act of 1924. -
Emergency Quota Act
The Emergency Quota Act aimed to lessen the amount of immigrants in the United States. It would admit only 3% of the number of people already in the United States from a certain country. Laws like this and the Immigraction Act of 1924 discriminated against immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe. -
Immigration Act of 1924
The National Origins Act was put into place to restrict the flow of newcomers from Southern and Eastern Europe. The reduced the amount of immigrants to be admitted to 2% of the people from their country already in the United states. It went decreased after the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 -
The Great Depression
During the Great Depression, the majority of America's Mexican population migrated back to where they came from because the economic situation was worse for them in America than it would be in Mexico. -
Displaced Persons Act of 1948
The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 helped people we were victims of persecution by the Nazi Government or who were fleeing from their countries because of fear of racial, political, and religious persecution. These people were granted residency and employment upon arriving. They were given such privileges as well as the opportunity to bring their family, but they had to make sure they were being “good” citizens. This meant that they had to provide for themselves, work hard, and stay out of jail. -
Cities to Suburbs
In the 1950's a mass migration to suburbs took place. Middle and working class citizens began to shift towards settled towns rather than the bustling cities. They were still able to maintain their city jobs and live in a suburb because of the construction of the interstate highway system. -
Commission on Immigration and Naturalization
This commission was created to further look into the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. When they met, they talked about different immigration policies and how they should be changed or improved. One thing that was suggested was to discontinue the quota system, and instead have a maximum annual quota. Their main focus was to meet the "needs" of Americans. -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
Also known as the McCarran-Walter Act, this act put more restrictions on American immigration policies. It made it a little easier to get citizenship if you were residing in American territories, like Guam. If you were bornin the territories on or after December 24, 1952 then you would be granted American citizenship like a regular American would. Other territories later included Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. -
Refugee Relief Act
This act authorized a non-quota refugee standard. This was defined as "any person in a country or area which is either Communist or Communist-dominated, who because of persecuton, fear of persecution, natural calamity or military operation is out of his usual place of abode and is unable to return thereto, who has not been firmly resettled, and who is in urgent need of assistance for the essentials of life or for transportation." Visas were being granted to refugees of Chinese origins. -
Surge in Mexican Immigration
As many of the previous immigration laws were being relaxed towards the end of the twentieth century, Mexican immigration soared. There was a slump in their immigration during the Geat Depression, but it soon bounced back. Other reasons why they left Mexico was because of the dense population of Mexico that offers few job opportunities, desire to reunite with family members who migrated, and the desire to make a new life for themselves in a place where they had more of a chance to succeed. -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
This act abolished the National Origins Formula and relazed the restrictions of immigration -
From Frostbelt to Sunbelt
BeA large growth in population occured in the beginning of the 1970's in the Southern hemisphere of America running from Virginia to California. More people migrated to the South going from the frostbelt to the sunbelt because of favorable weather conditions and lifestyles. They wished to get away from the cities and settle down. The populations in the West and the South have grown immensely.
