<Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Name of legislation or case </Th> <Th> Major highlights </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1790 </Td> <Td> Naturalization Act of 1790 </Td> <Td> Established the rules for naturalized citizenship , as per Article 1 , Section 8 of the Constitution , but placed no restrictions on immigration . Citizenship was limited to white persons , with no other restriction on non-whites . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1795 </Td> <Td> Naturalization Act of 1795 </Td> <Td> Lengthened required residency to become citizen . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1798 </Td> <Td> <P> Naturalization Act ( officially An Act to Establish a Uniform Rule of Naturalization ; ch. 54 , 1 Stat. 566 ) </P> <P> Alien Friends Act ( officially An Act Concerning Aliens ; ch. 58 , 1 Stat. 570 ) </P> <P> Alien Enemies Act ( officially An Act Respecting Alien Enemies ; ch. 66 , 1 Stat. 577 ) </P> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Extended the duration of residence required for immigrants to become citizens to 14 years . Enacted June 18 , 1798 , with no expiration date , it was repealed in 1802 . </Li> <Li> Authorized the president to deport any resident immigrant considered `` dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States . '' It was activated June 25 , 1798 , with a two - year expiration date . </Li> <Li> Authorized the president to apprehend and deport resident aliens if their home countries were at war with the United States of America . Enacted July 6 , 1798 , and providing no sunset provision , the act remains intact today as 50 U.S.C. § 21 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1802 </Td> <Td> Naturalization Law of 1802 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Repealed the 14 - year residency requirement of Naturalization Act of 1798 . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1870 </Td> <Td> Naturalization Act of 1870 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Extended the naturalization process to `` aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent . '' </Li> <Li> Other non-whites were not included in this act and remained excluded from naturalization , per the Naturalization Act of 1790 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1875 </Td> <Td> Page Act of 1875 ( Sect. 141 , 18 Stat. 477 , 1873 - March 1875 ) </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The first federal immigration law and prohibited the entry of immigrants considered as `` undesirable '' </Li> <Li> The law classified as `` undesirable '' any individual from Asia who was coming to America to be a contract laborer </Li> <Li> Strengthen the ban against `` coolie '' laborers , by imposing a fine of up to $2,000 and maximum jail sentence of one year upon anyone who tried to bring a person from China , Japan , or any oriental country to the United States `` without their free and voluntary consent , for the purpose of holding them to a term of service '' </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1882 </Td> <Td> Chinese Exclusion Act </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Restricted immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years . </Li> <Li> Prohibited Chinese naturalization . </Li> <Li> Provided deportation procedures for illegal Chinese . </Li> <Li> Marked the birth of illegal immigration ( in America ) . </Li> <Li> The Act was `` a response to racism ( in America ) and to anxiety about threats from cheap labor ( from China ) . '' </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1882 </Td> <Td> Immigration Act of 1882 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> First comprehensive immigration law for the US . </Li> <Li> Imposed a 50 cent head tax to fund immigration officials . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1885 </Td> <Td> Alien Contract Labor Law ( Sess. II Chap. 164 ; 23 Stat. 332 ) </Td> <Td> Prohibited the importation and migration of foreigners and aliens under contract or agreement to perform labor in the United States </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1891 </Td> <Td> Immigration Act of 1891 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> First comprehensive immigration laws for the US . </Li> <Li> Bureau of Immigration set up in the Treasury Dept . </Li> <Li> Immigration Bureau directed to deport unlawful aliens . </Li> <Li> Empowered `` the superintendent of immigration to enforce immigration laws '' . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1892 </Td> <Td> Geary Act </Td> <Td> Extended and strengthened the Chinese Exclusion Act . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1898 </Td> <Td> United States v. Wong Kim Ark </Td> <Td> The Supreme Court ruled that a child of Chinese descent born in the United States - whose parents at the time of his birth are subjects of the Emperor of China but who are domiciled in the United States
<Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Name of legislation or case </Th> <Th> Major highlights </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1790 </Td> <Td> Naturalization Act of 1790 </Td> <Td> Established the rules for naturalized citizenship , as per Article 1 , Section 8 of the Constitution , but placed no restrictions on immigration . Citizenship was limited to white persons , with no other restriction on non-whites . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1795 </Td> <Td> Naturalization Act of 1795 </Td> <Td> Lengthened required residency to become citizen . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1798 </Td> <Td> <P> Naturalization Act ( officially An Act to Establish a Uniform Rule of Naturalization ; ch. 54 , 1 Stat. 566 ) </P> <P> Alien Friends Act ( officially An Act Concerning Aliens ; ch. 58 , 1 Stat. 570 ) </P> <P> Alien Enemies Act ( officially An Act Respecting Alien Enemies ; ch. 66 , 1 Stat. 577 ) </P> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Extended the duration of residence required for immigrants to become citizens to 14 years . Enacted June 18 , 1798 , with no expiration date , it was repealed in 1802 . </Li> <Li> Authorized the president to deport any resident immigrant considered `` dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States . '' It was activated June 25 , 1798 , with a two - year expiration date . </Li> <Li> Authorized the president to apprehend and deport resident aliens if their home countries were at war with the United States of America . Enacted July 6 , 1798 , and providing no sunset provision , the act remains intact today as 50 U.S.C. § 21 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1802 </Td> <Td> Naturalization Law of 1802 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Repealed the 14 - year residency requirement of Naturalization Act of 1798 . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1870 </Td> <Td> Naturalization Act of 1870 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Extended the naturalization process to `` aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent . '' </Li> <Li> Other non-whites were not included in this act and remained excluded from naturalization , per the Naturalization Act of 1790 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1875 </Td> <Td> Page Act of 1875 ( Sect. 141 , 18 Stat. 477 , 1873 - March 1875 ) </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The first federal immigration law and prohibited the entry of immigrants considered as `` undesirable '' </Li> <Li> The law classified as `` undesirable '' any individual from Asia who was coming to America to be a contract laborer </Li> <Li> Strengthen the ban against `` coolie '' laborers , by imposing a fine of up to $2,000 and maximum jail sentence of one year upon anyone who tried to bring a person from China , Japan , or any oriental country to the United States `` without their free and voluntary consent , for the purpose of holding them to a term of service '' </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1882 </Td> <Td> Chinese Exclusion Act </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Restricted immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years . </Li> <Li> Prohibited Chinese naturalization . </Li> <Li> Provided deportation procedures for illegal Chinese . </Li> <Li> Marked the birth of illegal immigration ( in America ) . </Li> <Li> The Act was `` a response to racism ( in America ) and to anxiety about threats from cheap labor ( from China ) . '' </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1882 </Td> <Td> Immigration Act of 1882 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> First comprehensive immigration law for the US . </Li> <Li> Imposed a 50 cent head tax to fund immigration officials . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1885 </Td> <Td> Alien Contract Labor Law ( Sess. II Chap. 164 ; 23 Stat. 332 ) </Td> <Td> Prohibited the importation and migration of foreigners and aliens under contract or agreement to perform labor in the United States </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1891 </Td> <Td> Immigration Act of 1891 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> First comprehensive immigration laws for the US . </Li> <Li> Bureau of Immigration set up in the Treasury Dept . </Li> <Li> Immigration Bureau directed to deport unlawful aliens . </Li> <Li> Empowered `` the superintendent of immigration to enforce immigration laws '' . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1892 </Td> <Td> Geary Act </Td> <Td> Extended and strengthened the Chinese Exclusion Act . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1898 </Td> <Td> United States v. Wong Kim Ark </Td> <Td> The Supreme Court ruled that a child of Chinese descent born in the United States - whose parents at the time of his birth are subjects of the Emperor of China but who are domiciled in the United States
when did the united states start limiting immigration
when did the united states start limiting immigration
1875
1875