The United States is a nation of Immigrants.
in search of prosperity, freedom and financial.
By definition of the Microsoft Bookshelf Encyclopedia an.
immigrant is a person who leaves one country to settle permanently in.
another country or region to which one is not native. People immigrate.
for different reasons -- A group of people may immigrate to another.
country because of some conditions which make it difficult for them to.
live in their home environment. According to Microsoft Bookshelf.
Encyclopedia, the reason for immigration is often social for example,.
population increases, defeat in war, desire for a better life through.
material gain and the search for religious or political freedom. These.
reasons have usually prompted many more immigrants to the U.S. than.
natural causes have. The website of the Federation for American.
Immigration Reform explains how the first great wave of immigrants came.
to the U.S. In the early 19th century, large numbers of people from.
Western Europe left their countries to escape poverty. Many of the.
immigrants also came to escape religious persecution and political.
oppression. By the end of the 19th century, the majority of the.
immigrants were from Southern and Eastern Europe. After 1921,.
immigration declined due to new and better conditions in Europe and to.
limitations established by the U.S. government. The first law was.
passed by the United States Congress in 1862, restricted immigration to.
the U.S. This law forbade American vessels to transport Chinese.
immigrants to the United States. Later, in the 1800s, the U.S.
Congress passed acts which prevented convicts, polygamists, prostitutes.
and persons suffering from contagious diseases to enter the U.S. In.
1917, Congress passed an immigration law that required a literacy test.
Aliens unable to meet minimum mental, moral, physical and economic.
standards were excluded form the U.S. as well. In 1921, a.
congressional enactment created a quota system for immigrants, by which.