A TIMELINE to a Change of Heart?

Timeline of some events that occurred: 

1800  Alien Act, one of the four Alien and Sedition, expires

1802 Naturalization Act, one of the four Alien and Sedition Acts, repealed

1808 Congress bans importation of slaves

1819  Congress establishes reporting on immigration. 

1830  Congress passes the Removal Act, forcing Native Americans to settle in Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.

1845  Potato crop fails in Ireland sparking the Potato Famine which kills one million and prompts almost 500,000 to immigrate to America over the next five years

1848 The Mexican-American War ends: U.S. acquires additional territory and people under its jurisdiction

1849  The California Gold Rush sparks first mass immigration from China.

1857 Supreme Court’s Dred Scott Decision declares blacks are not U.S. citizens; rules 1820 Missouri Compromise’s ban on slavery in the territories unconstitutional.

1860  Poland’s religious and economic conditions prompt immigration of approximately two million Poles by 1914.

1862  Congress passes the first law restricting immigration with 1862 law forbidding American vessels to transport Chinese immigrants to U.S.

1868  The 14th Amendment of the Constitution endows African Americans with citizenship.

The above timeline is just a brief outline of what happened between my last blog and this blog. For a number or reasons, slave importations was banned, interestingly- the U.S. started to keep track on incoming immigrants ( Example of a record could be found here http://www.archives.gov/global-pages/larger-image.html?i=/genealogy/images/passenger-list-l.jpg&c=/genealogy/images/passenger-list.caption.html ). I find it odd that we wanted to keep track of people coming in to America but on the other hand, America took over Mexican territory, and pushed the original Natives out of their homes. I find the American attitude was to clear out, move in and then not really want others to join. well, eventually Immigration was not the priority on everyones mind, it was equality. The most affected at the time were colored people because they were not considered citizens. Eventually, change came about and the same amendment that changes the future for our black americans, opened the door for people of many origins.

On June 13, 1866 the US government introduced Amendment 14 . The 14th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified July 28, 1868.  Known as the "Reconstruction Amendment," it forbids any state to deny any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws." In the eyes of Immigration policy, the amendment grants citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" which included former slaves who had just been freed after the Civil War. 

Was this Maybe a change of heart- did the US finally warm up to immigration?  I honestly can say that I hardly think so. Although warm intentions were not intended for immigrants coming to the U.S.,   this amendment did overturn the 1857 supreme court’s decision that blacks were not citizens and beautifully put an end to slavery. This amendment did leave allot of room for immigration advancement for non Americans. This caused a never-ending controversy about those that came to the United states  and had children. "Subject to the jurisdiction thereof" was meant to exclude U.S.-born persons whose allegiance to the United States was incomplete from automatic citizenship   For example, Native Indians were excluded from citizenship because of their tribal jurisdiction or “segregation.” Also not subject to American jurisdiction were ambassadors, foreign visitors, consuls, and their babies that they would birth here. 

The way I look at things is that everyone that comes to this country is coming here for the same reason that the initial people did.  n or “segregation.” Also not subject to American jurisdiction were ambassadors, foreign visitors, consuls, and their babies that they would birth here.

The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent & respectable Stranger,  but the oppressed & persecuted of all Nations & Religions;  whom we shall wellcome to a participation of all our rights & previleges.

Bibliography: 

Claghorn, Kate Holladay. " The Foreign Immigrant in New York City," Reports of the Industrial Commission 15, 1901, 465-492

Daniels, Roger. Coming to America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life. New York, 1990.

Smith, Geoffrey S. NATIVISM Encyclopedia of the New American Nation (http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/E-N/Nativism.html.)

OTHER LINKS:

Immigration Issues: A Bibliography

Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930

Eugenic Laws Restricting Immigration

US Immigration: Migration Facts, Stats, and Maps

Ethnicity and Migration Links

More then just a new immigration policy?

So as I had mentioned on the last blog American immigration laws did not (and will not) get any better. On January 29^th, 1795, the 1790 Naturalization Act was revised.  This revision included the residency requirement was extended to 5 years.  One of the reasons for this change was in response to the French Revolutionary War.  By increasing the residency time to 5 years, anti- Americans and violent French revolutionaries could not come to America and become naturalized/citizens. 

Not so long after the 1795 revision- during John Adams Presidency, the Naturalization Act was changed yet again. During Adams Presidency, the Acts that were revised caused allot controversy.  The Naturalization Act of 1798, extended residency time again; from 5 years to 14 years. The Sedition Act was passed and was a threat on the constitutional right of Freedom of Speech. The Alien Act gave the President the right to incarcerate and deport foreigners that were considered to be dangerous. As a result of this law, any public assembly or publication that was released and was demonstrated any threat, criticism, or deemed to be critical of the government was at risk of being prosecuted and ultimately deported.  These laws were passed by Adams Federalist Party to limit the Republican Party’s free speech and ability to vote (if they were not a citizen of the United States).  The Alien and Sedition Act was definitely infringing on the Rights and Privileges the people of America had.  Their are many examples of disciplinary actions that followed after this law and one example was the Government’s response to William Duane’s many articles. William Duane was the editor of one paper in the nation's capital, the Philadelphia Aurora, he became editor of the Aurora after the death of Benjamin Franklin Bache in 1798. One of the articles that was written was:

 “Advertisement Extraordinary!!!” (Philadelphia) Aurora 14 July 1798

"Orator Mumtakes thisvery orderlymethod of announcing to his fellow citizens that a THINKING CLUB will be established in a few days at the sign of theMuzzleinGag Street. The first subject for cogitation will be: “Ought a Free People to obey laws which violate the constitution they have sworn to support?” N.B. No member will be permitted to think longer than fifteen minutes."

 (http://explorepahistory.com/odocument.php?docId=347) 

The next day, William Duane was attacked in his office by a group of Federal troops from the city's volunteer Calvary because they were not happy about the article he had written about them the day before. Duane was then taken to jail. “For his acerbic writings and influence in the Democratic-Republican party, the Federalists made Duane a chief target of persecution... In an effort to suppress the Aurora, Federalists challenged Duane’s citizenship and attempted to have him deported” (Belt). 

We all know that laws are not made to be fair, they are made to benefit someone. In this case, Duane was persecuted for having an opinion. With efforts to maintain power and for fear that the public will rebel against government, laws kept and keep changing to mold into whatever society needs to be kept in restraint. This makes us think that before we vote for something right?  what may seem like a simple legislation may have a master plan behind it and may not be for whatever reason we think we are voting... 

Banning Lance, Liberty and Order: The First American Party Struggle, ed. and with a Preface by Lance Banning (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2004). Chapter: “Advertisement Extraordinary!!!” (Philadelphia) Aurora 14 July 1798

Accessed from http://oll.libertyfund.org/title/875/63978 on 2009-10-23

Belt, Gordon T.  "Sedition Act of 1798: A brief history of arrests, indictments, mistreatment & abuse." First Amendment Center library manager. Accessed from  http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/PDF/Sedition_Act_cases.pdf  on 2009-10-20

Gragg, Larry American History: Passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts October 1998 issue of American History Magazine http://www.historynet.com/american-history-passage-of-the-alien-and-sedition-acts.htm/5

"William John Duane." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Oct. 2009 . 

SenateNational Archives and Records Administration, Records of the U.S. Senatehttp://www.archives.gov/exhibits/treasures_of_congress/Images/page_5/19b.html  

Early American History and Immigration

  

After the American's won the war with Britain and became an independent country much of the Britain laws were still left behind. In 1790 the first Naturalization and  Immigration law was suggested by George Washington and later was drafted by Thomas Jefferson. The Naturalization Act of 1790 was founded bases on the current immigration situations that were going on, Americans were scared that all they had worked for was to then be shared by the incoming immigrants and demonstrated "nativism" (Fox). This law was the country’s first step to define who a citizen and restrictions on citizenship. The early ages of government left allot of open space for discrimination. The early ages of government left allot of open space for discrimination with the  creation of the Naturalization Act of 1790.

Racism was the most obvious point of unfairness that this early American law demonstrated. The article states “ Any alien, being a free white person...” (Naturalization Act of 1790). The law left out slaves and free black. I assume that they left out slaves since although not all people were slaves? Going off that, the people that were slaves also included whites that were termed salves (waiting to payoff the trip to America) to ensure that the masters get payment. The Indentured servants (slave term in exchange for a free trip to America) would eventually fade out since that form of migration to America was not really happening; once that faded, then this still leaves the non-whites. The Naturalization Act of 1790 discriminated against non whites and thus, showing that since the early colonial times, our founding government embraced racism.  

Besides race, women also were cut short of rights. In the article Major Acts of Congress, Fox wrote:  “ While the 1790 act naturalized all "persons" and so included women, it also declared that "the right of citizenship shall not descend to persons whose fathers have never been resident in the United States..." This prevented the automatic grant of citizenship to children born abroad whose mother, but not father, had resided in the United States. Citizenship was inherited exclusively through the father” Woman in colonial times probably thought nothing much about this when it came out. But lets suppose that a women bare a child outside of the United States then that child would not have the rights to be a citizen had that child not have an American Citizen father. That sure does sound mean; we can bear the child but are not worthy to grant them citizenship by birth? I am sure that the colonies had other troubles to worry about but if this law was not intended for the sole purpose to benefit a white male then the details described by fox would have been omitted. 

To a relief, because the colonies feared that the French revolutionaries might want to come to the United States, The Naturalization Act of 1790 only lasted five years. The replacement did not get better though, the naturalization laws that followed years to come only got worse, the rules and requirements got harder and the definition of whom is entitled to be a citizen were finer. Racial and sex bias has not changed much  since then, maybe perhaps our laws are different now but If our country would have started on a different foot and gave everyone an equal chance then our present future would not have some of the unjust problems that women and minorities still face today.

Fox, James W.. "Naturalization Act (1790)." Major Acts of Congress. The Gale Group Inc. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 18 Sep. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Statutes At Large, First Congress, Session II, p. 103

“The President and Fellows of Harvard College, 2006.”  Harvard Libraries, Open Collections Program: Immigration to the United States 1789-1930.  17 OCT 2006.   Date Accessed 2 Feb 2008. http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/outsidelink.html/http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HLS.LIBR:981715