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Immigration Act of 1882 for kids:
US Immigration Policy
The year 1882 saw the largest number of immigrants, nearly 1
million, in American history and in response the government began to
develop a national immigration policy and Congress passed two
historic immigration acts. Prior to 1890, the individual states,
rather than the Federal government, regulated immigration into the
United States of America. The first law to effect migrants was the
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act
that restricted immigration from China for 10 years. The
second law passed by Congress was the 1882 Act.
Reasons for the Immigration Act of 1882
The reasons for the Immigration Act of 1882 were therefore:
● Increased levels of
Immigrants from Europe
● Resurgence in
Nativism in America
(Anti-immigration)
● The need for the
government to restrict immigration
The Purpose of the Immigration Act of 1882
The federal government had to tread a fine line with the Act of 1882. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion act had banned all
immigration from China. As many European immigrants were considered
extremely desirable it would be inappropriate to limit immigration
by country. The purpose for the
Act of 1882 was therefore to limit immigration based on
excluding certain kinds of people who were deemed "undesirable".
Immigration Act of 1882 for kids:
Provisions of the Immigration Act
What did the 1882 Immigration Act do? The provisions of the
Act of 1882 were: ● To impose a 'head tax'.
The Act of 1882 levied a tax of 50 cents on all
immigrants landing at US ports to fund immigration officials The
tax money was be collected by the collector of customs at each
port paid into the United States Treasury to "constitute a fund
called the immigration fund" and to pay the federal immigration
agents throughout the United States
● The Immigration fund was
also to be used for the care of immigrants in distress
● Immigration officials were
given the authority to expel certain immigrants based on
criteria laid out within the 1882 Immigration Act
● The 1882 Act
provided that all convicted convicts (except those convicted for
political crimes) should be returned to the country they had
come from. The expense of returning convicts were to be borne by
the owners of the vessels
● That an examination on the
condition of passengers should be made on arrival
● If on examination any of
the passengers were found to be any the following, a written
report should be made to the collector at each port and such
persons should not be permitted to land:
● ● A Convict (except
political)
● ● A Lunatic
● ● A person unable to
take care of himself or herself without becoming a public
charge
Significance of the Immigration Act of 1882
The significance of the Act of 1882 was that further
laws would be passed restricting
immigrants and increasing government regulation.
The second law passed by Congress in the same year as
the Chinese Exclusion Act was the
Immigration Act of 1882 which restricted immigrants from Europe.
This law was quickly followed by the
1885 Alien Contract Labor Law
(Foran Act) that virtually banned foreign contract labor.
In 1890 the individual states turned over control of immigration to
the Federal Government. In 1890 the first Federal immigration
center was built on Ellis
Island where immigrants were subjected to medical and legal
examinations
detailed in the
Ellis Island
Inspection Process.
Immigration Act of 1882 for kids: US Immigration Laws
The article on US
Immigration Laws History provides facts, immigration statistics
and a timeline from 1800's to the present day.
DISCLAIMER:
This website and any information contained herein
are intended for educational and informational
purposes only and should not be construed as legal
advice. Seek competent legal counsel from a lawyer
for advice on any legal matter.
Push and Pull Factors
For visitors interested in the subject of
immigration refer to our website on
Push and Pull Factors
of Immigration which provides details of why people left their
homes in various countries and moved to the United
States.
Immigration Act of 1882 for kids - President Chester Arthur Video
The article on the Act of 1882 provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
Chester Arthur video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 21st American President whose presidency spanned from September 19, 1881 to March 4, 1885.
Immigration Act of 1882
●
Interesting Facts about Immigration Act of 1882 for kids and schools
●
Summary of the 1882 Immigration Act in US history
●
The Act of 1882, a major
event in US history
●
Chester Arthur Presidency September 19, 1881 to March 4, 1885
●
Fast, fun, interesting
facts
about the 1882 Immigration Act
●
Foreign & Domestic
policies of President Chester Arthur
●
Chester Arthur Presidency and
the
Immigration Act of 1882 for schools,
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