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Beginning of Colonial Immigration
On May 13, 1607 104 English men traveled to North America and made Jamestown Virginia as the first settlement in North America. -
Importation of African Slaves Begins
As part of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Africans were sent to Jamestown in North America to serve as slaves. The trans-Atlantic slave trade last four decades (1501-1873). -
Transportation Act of 1717
New punishments were written, and were put into 3 categories. Jails were used for prisoners awaiting trial or punishment. 75% of convicted felons were transported. -
Plantation Act
An act passed in 1740 by the British Parliament, to regularize the naturalization process within colonies. Served as a model for the first U.S. naturalization act. -
Articles of Confederation
The first written constitution of the United States and the ratification by all 13 states occurred on March 1, 1781. -
First Alien Naturalization Act Enacted by the new U.S. Government
Restricted citizenship to "any alien, being a free white person" (Naturalization Act of 1790) who had been in the United States for two years. Granted national citizenship. -
Foreign Slave Trades become Illegal
The 50,000 slaves that were smuggles into the United States after 1808 became the first illegal immigrants under President Jefferson's presidency. -
American Civil War
A war in the United States that was fought from 1861-1865 between the United States and the Confederate states. -
President Lincoln Acts to Prohibit the "Coolie Trade"
President Lincoln signed an act to prohibit the Coolie Trade. It outlawed any shipments of Chinese individuals to be held as servants. -
Homestead Act of 1862
The Homestead Act of 1862 was passed to encourage westward migration. The law was created to attract people to migrate to the Midwest and West because it promised land at low prices. -
Transcontinental Railroad
The central Pacific Railroad hired Chinese laborers and the Union Pacific hired Irish laborers to create the first Transcontinental Railroad. It allowed continuous travel by train from coast to coast. -
Naturalization Act of 1870 Extends Naturalization to Former Slaves
After the Civil war, the Naturalization Act of 1870 extended the right of naturalization to former slaves making African immigrants eligible. -
First "Great Wave" of European Immigrants to United States
A huge immigration explosion occurred between 1880 and 1924 on average 560,000 immigrants per year. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The first significant law that restricted immigration into the United States. The act provided an absolute 10 year prohibition on Chinese labor immigration. -
14th Amendment
The Supreme Court confirmed the 14th amendment. Which gave citizenship to all persons born in the United States.
