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Metacom versus English Settlers
Metacom, the leader of the Native American group Wampanoagos, led his tribe into a war with the English settlers. This showed that the settlers believed from the start that the land belonged to them, that they had no care for the land of others, and were unjust in trials. (Picture: http://religiopoliticaltalk.blogspot.com/2007/04/indians-vs_12.html) (Info: John Easton, “A Relation of the Indian War” in A Narrative of the Causes Which Led to Philip’s Indian War (Albany: J. Munsell, 1858), 5–15.) -
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French and Indian War
Though there were many outcomes of this war, the one dealing with immigration ideas is that as a result of the war, the possibility of further westward expansion came into play, which would interfere on more of the Native American's land, which would cause even more tension between the two cultures. The settlers had already taken over quite a bit of land with the thirteen colonies, and claiming more land as their own, albeit stealing land from the natives, was now their goal. -
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Manifest Destiny
This was the main reason why westward expansion was justified, and didn't quite have an ending date as much as the belief started in the 19th century. It was the belief that Europeans had the right, and were called by God to do so, to expand westward and spread from coast to coast. Therefore, they thought that their mission was the most important, and that they belonged there more than the others, such as natives or basically anyone not white. -
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Texas Revolution
The Mexican colony of Texas, in part inspired by the expansion of the American settlers who happened to be in Texas, fought against the Mexican government in order to gain independence from the country. Texas was aided by American colonists, and eventually, Texas won and became the 28th state. Tensions ran high for quite some time because of the fight for liberation. -
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Mexican-American War
Following the Texas Revolution, Mexico refused to acknowledge Texas's independence from Mexico, but because it was annexed into the United States, war was fought over it. Though America offered to pay for the land, Mexico refused that and instead engaged in an armed battle, which they lost, and it really took a blow on Mexico as a country. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Ending the Mexican-American war, this treaty allowed for the annexation of what would become Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. (photo from http://mswestjchs.weebly.com/american-1.html) -
Passing of the 14th Amendment
While this amendment covers many points, the main section relating to immigration is in the first section, in the citizenship clause. It states "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv -
Dawes Act of 1887
This act allowed the United States' government decide how to give various amounts of land to Native Americans, based off a tribal roll that the natives had to sign up for. This land would be set aside for the natives as a reservation, but compared to the land they once had, was considerably small. This shows that the settlers believed that they had the right to the land that was "owned" much before they even got there, showing how strong the belief that they were the superior race was. -
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Mexican Revolution
During the Mexican Revolution, Mexico fought with the U.S. about the annexation of Texas, as Mexico refused to acknowledge Texas as independent from their country, and eventually it led to a way against the two countries. During this time, the immigration rate shifted from about "20,000 migrants per year during the 1910's to about 50,000 - 10,000 migrants per year during the 1920's." https://blogs.loc.gov/kluge/2015/03/the-history-of-mexican-immigration-to-the-u-s-in-the-early-20th-century/ -
U.S. Border Patrol Created
In the early 1900's, there became an increasing issue with illegal crossings of the border of the U.S. and Mexico. They also spread out in parts of California, where the Chinese were entering as well. http://immigrationtounitedstates.org/394-us-bureau-of-immigration.html -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
Though there are several parts to this act, but one of the main parts allows undocumented immigrants the ability to apply for citizenship if they met some requirements. -
Accessibility to Green Cards Grow
Through the Legal Immigration Family Equity Act, people who were normally unable to obtain green cards to the United States gained the opportunity, that is if they met certain requirements. -
Dream Act
This is an Act that passed in order to make other means for immigrants to gain legal access to permanent residency within the United States, if the person met certain qualifications. This allowed for more people to reside in the United States without fear of deportation. https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/DREAM-Act-WhiteHouse-FactSheet.pdf -
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
This helped children who entered the United States illegally, brought over by parents or guardians, and it also helps those kids who were born in the United States from illegally residing parents. It gives children a fair chance to belong to the country where they have resided in for most or all of their lives. -
Obama's Immigration Policy Turned Down
This prevented about 4 million people from gaining access to different programs that would have allowed them citizenship and work in the United States.
