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Beginning of the Colonial Immigration
The settlment in 1607, on the James River marked the beginning of the English foundation. -
The First Settlement
The first successful English settlement occurred in 1607, in Jamestown, Virginia. -
Theocracy in Massachusetts
In 1637, Massachusetts passed a law stating that no citizen residing in the town or colony was forbidden to host an illegal alien without permission the authorities and the government officials. -
First Alien Naturalization Act
In 1790, a newly created U.S. government created an act that stated that any free, white, adult alien, male or female, who had resided within the limits and jurisdiction of the United States for two or more years was eligible for citizenship, and would be given to anyone who displayed good character and moral, and took an oath. -
Chinese Immigration
In the 1800s, the Chinese immigrated to the United States due to the California Gold Rush. Although it was a large scale immigration into the U.S., the Chinese population decreased quickly due to the Chinese Exclusion Act. -
Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves of 1807
The United States Federal Law that stated that no new slaves were permitted to be imported into the United States, which took effect in 1808. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized President Andrew Jackson to negotiate with the Native Americans in the Southern states of the United States for their removal/"surrender" to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their homelands
federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their homelands -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first major law that restricted immigration into the United States. This act provided an absolute 10-year moratorium on Chinese labor immigration -
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910, ended dictatorship in Mexico and established a constitutional republic -
Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act of 1924 was a Untited States Federal Law that limited the annual number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country to two percent of the number of people from that country who were already living in the United States in 1890. -
U.S. Border Patrol
On May 28, 1924, the United States Border Patrol was established in order to detect and prevent illegal aliens from passing the border. -
Ellis Island Closes Its Gates
In 1954, after processing more than 12 million immigrants into the United States, New York's Ellis Island closed its gates to other incoming immigrants. -
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act
The EEOA Prohibits discrimination against faculty and students in an education environment, including racial segregation of students and requires school districts to take action to overcome barriers to students' equal participation in activites.
districts to take action to overcome barriers to students' equal participation -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 required employers to attest to their employees' immigration status, and
made it illegal to unknowingly hire or recruit unauthorized immigrants. -
The North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was an agreement signed by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, which created a trilateral trade bloc in North America following a rule-based system. -
9/11
The terrorist attacks that occured on September 11, 2001 changed the face of the Department of Defense with heavier expanding military along the borders. -
Secure Fence Act of 2006
The Secure Fence Act of 2006 stated that the bill would help protect the American people, and make their borders more secure. "It is an important step toward immigration reform." -
Arizona Senate Bill 1070
The SB1070 law requires any immigrant over the age of 14, in the United States for more than 30 days, to carry proof of registration documents on them at all times. -
Blocked Sections of 1070
In 2010, Judge Susan Bolton blocked key sections in the Arizona Senate Bill 1070, including the section that with "reasonable suspicion" police were allowed to arrest and detain suspected illegal immigrants without a warrant. -
President Barack Obama Allows Illegal Immigrants
President Obama allowed illegal immigrants who came into the country as young children to remain in the United States. He stated: “These are young people who study in our schools, play in our neighborhoods — they are friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag,” said Obama. “They are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way except one — on paper.”
