Causes of Immigration 1855 - Castle Garden was created in New York. This was the receiving station to accommodate mass immigration. It was in existence until Ellis Island took over that duty. Also in 1855, alien women married to U.S. citizens were considered to be citizens. 1856 - The Know-Nothing movement was defeated in the presidential election. An Albany convention to promote Irish rural colonization in the United States was strongly opposed by Eastern bishops and thus unsuccessful. 1860 - New York became "the largest Irish city in the world". Of it's 805.651 residents, 203,760 were Irish. 1861 - The Civil War caused a significant drop in the number of foreigners entering the United States. Large numbers of immigrants serve on both sides during the Civil War. This War continued to have an effect until its ending in 1865. 1862 - Aliens who received honorable discharges from the U.S. Army were not required to file declarations. The Homestead Act encouraged naturalization by granting citizens title to 160 acres,providing that the land was tilled for five years. PAY ESPECIALLY close to this date for those looking at homestead laws. 1864 - Congress centralized control of immigration with a commissioner under the secretary of state. In an attempt to meet the labor crisis caused by the Civil War, Congress legalized the importation of contract laborers (This would be the first move in the continuing battle of labor in this country) 1875 - The first direct federal regulation of immigration was established by prohibitingentry of prostitutes, and convicts.Residency permits were required of Asians. 1882 - The Chinese exclusion law was established, curbing Chinese immigration. Further exclusions: persons convicted of political offenses, lunatics, idiots and persons likely to become public charges. A head tax of fifty cents was placed on each immigrant. A sharp rise in Jewish emigration to the United States was prompted by the outbreak of anti-Semitism in Russia. Which had begun a series of Programs. 1883 - In an effort to alleviate a labor shortage caused by the freeing of the slaves, the Southern Immigration Association was founded to promote immigration to the South. 1885 - Contract laborers were denied admission to United States by the Foreign Act. However, skilled laborers, artists, actors, lecturers, and domestic servants were not barred. Individuals in the United States were not to be prevented from assisting the immigration of relatives and personal friends. 1886 - The Statue of Liberty was dedicated. 1888 - The first act since 1798 providing for the expulsion of aliens became law. 1890 - New York had the distinction of being home to as many Germans as Hamburg, Germany. 1891 - The Bureau of Immigration was established under the Treasury Department to federally administerall immigration laws (except the Chinese Exclusion Act.) Congress added health qualifications to immigration restrictions. Classes of persons denied the right to immigrate to the United States included the insane, paupers, persons with contagious diseases, persons convicted of felonies or misdemeanors of moral turpitude and polygamists. Progroms in Russia still were causing large numbers of Jews to immigrate to the United States. 1892 - THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT Ellis Island replaced Castle Garden as the reception center of immigrants. Immigration of Chinese to the United States was prohibited for ten years. Chinese illegally in the Unites States could be removed. 1893 - Chinese legally in the United States were required to apply to collectors of internal revenue for certificates of residence or be removed. Economic depression brought dramatic strength to the anti-Catholic American Protective Association. 1894 - Congress created the Bureau of Immigration. The Immigration Restriction League was organized to lead the restrictionist movement for the next 25 years.The league emphasized the distinction between "old" (northern and western European) and "new", (southern and eastern Europe) immigrants. Aliens who received honorable discharges from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps were not required to file declarations. 1894- To escape Moslem massacres, Armenia Christians began immigrating to the United States. 1896 1897 - President Cleveland vetoed literacy tests for immigrants. 1900 - The U. S. Population at 75, 994. 575. More than 3,687,000 immigrants were admitted in the previous years.