Changing Positions

Changing Positions

The United States’ starting point for an immigration policy was laissez faire, or an open door. After gaining independence from Great Britain, the United States frankly accepted millions of European immigrants. In the early decades of the 19th century, America’s generous attitude toward immigration encouraged many to believe it was the land of opportunity for all. However, this attitude, little by little, began to go downhill toward the latter part of the 19th century. During this period, exclusion laws and quotas began to be America’s stance on immigration. The United States’ position on immigration changed from laissez faire to one of strict limitation in the latter part of the 19th century for several reasons including a devastating increase in population, workforce, and discrimination.
In the 19th century, an overwhelming number of immigrants arrived in America. Escaping crop failure, land and job shortages, political persecution, and famine, immigrants came to America for economic and political freedom and primarily job opportunities. There were nearly twelve million immigrants that migrated to this developing nation in this era. As a result of the mass migration, small towns rapidly evolved into crowded, busy cities. Being a new country, the United States had limited infrastructure for its populace.   America became stressed since it would have to build new facilities and public services for the foreign newcomers. Language and custom barriers made it very difficult for the United States to supply infrastructure such as schools and communication systems for immigrants.
Most immigrants migrated to America in the 19th century for job opportunities. At its peak in the 1830s, the Industrial Revolution, a period of rapid growth of industry, provided countless jobs and promoted immigration to fill these positions. Industries favored immigrants for the reason that they worked cheaper than white Americans. On the other hand, American natives became alarmed at...