Fact check: What were the major immigration laws or policies passed pre 1880

1. Summary of the results

The major immigration laws or policies passed pre-1880 in the United States include the 1790 law that specified who could become a citizen, limiting it to free whites of 'good moral character' who had lived in the U.S. for at least two years ^[1]. Additionally, the right of citizenship was extended to those of African origin in 1870 ^[1]. Starting in 1875, a series of restrictions on immigration were enacted, including bans on criminals, people with contagious diseases, and others ^[1]. It is also noted that state immigration laws in the northeastern states, particularly New York and Massachusetts, were developed to restrict the landing of impoverished immigrants and deport those already in the United States ^[2]. The Supreme Court declared regulation of immigration a federal responsibility in 1875, leading to the creation of federal enforcement authorities ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Some sources do not provide direct information about major immigration laws or policies passed pre-1880, instead focusing on later periods, such as the 1924 Immigration Act ^[4]. Others provide lists of references and citations related to immigration but do not offer specific information about pre-1880 immigration laws ^[5]. Historians have long assumed that immigration policy in the U.S. began with federal laws to restrict Chinese immigration in the late 19th century, but it actually started before that with the Irish ^[2]. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the general Immigration Act of 1882 are also mentioned, but these are post-1880 ^[3]. Early American immigration mainly involved Western and Northern Europeans, and laws only limited immigrants with certain individual attributes, rather than all people above a certain annual numerical threshold, until the late 1800s and early 1900s ^[4].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement asks about major immigration laws or policies passed pre-1880 without providing any context or specifics, which may lead to incomplete or inaccurate information. Some sources may benefit from this lack of specificity, such as those focusing on later immigration laws and policies, like the 1924 Immigration Act ^[4], which may be presented as more significant or influential than earlier laws. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and migration policy organizations may benefit from emphasizing the importance of federal laws and regulations in shaping immigration policy ^[3]. On the other hand, historians and researchers may benefit from highlighting the earlier, state-level immigration laws and policies, such as those in New York and Massachusetts ^[2], which challenges the common narrative that federal immigration policy began with the Chinese Exclusion Act ^[2].