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.