Chinese+Exclusion+Act+1882

Definitions

The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States federal law signed into law by Chester A. Arthur on May 8, 1882, following revisions made in 1880 to the Burlingame Treaty of 1868. Those revisions allowed the U.S. to suspend immigration, and Congress subsequently acted quickly to implement the suspension of Chinese immigration, a ban that was intended to last 10 years.

Background

The first significant Chinese immigration to the United States began with the California Gold Rush of 1848-1855, and continued with subsequent large labor projects, such as the building of the first Transcontinental Railroad. During the early stages of the gold rush, when surface gold was plentiful, the Chinese were tolerated, if not well-received. As gold became harder to find and competition increased, animosity toward the Chinese and other foreigners increased. After being forcibly driven from the mines, most Chinese settled in enclaves in cities, mainly San Francisco, and took up low end wage labor such as restaurant work and laundry. ] The influx 0f Chinese started in 1853, when almost 12000 arrived, 300,000 Chinese entered the United States. Most of them were male. 6. With the post Civil War economy in decline by the 1870s, anti-Chinese animosity became politicized by labor leader Denis Kearney and his Workingman's Party as well as by California Governor John Bigler, both of whom blamed Chinese "coolies" for depressed wage levels. The Angle Island: The first stop for the ships which used to transport the labors. The officers were asking to people who came with the ships some questions, such as "what kind of wood you used for the floor in your bedroom". For those who got all the paper, they're lucky. But for those who were not, they were being detained on the island for days, month, and for those who had really bad luck, it could be years. [[image:file:///C:/DOCUME~1/user/LOCALS~1/Temp/U%605RK@U@NP%7DRTICZINX[(F5.jpg]]

After president Lincoln decided to build a huge railroad to connect to west and the east side of the America, The project need lot of labors to work, but at the same time most of the American male young adults were fighting in the Civil war. So the government decided to sign a treaty with the Chinese allowed and encouraged Chinese young adults to go to the America for jobs. The treaty was called the Burlingame Treaty in 1880. May 6 1882, The Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 was signed, which totally inversed the Burlingame treaty and stop the Chinese immigration. 1n 1892 the law prolonged by 10 years and it was repelled by Magnusson act in 1943.

1 white workers against the Chinese.(railroad) [[image:file:///C:/DOCUME~1/user/LOCALS~1/Temp/4MHE[SJ3JD(FSNZM1EQX@%7DL.jpg]][[image:file:///C:/DOCUME~1/user/LOCALS~1/Temp/~WHGU%7BHRRIW%7BW%7BD%7DCK3DFH1.jpg]] 2 Chinese can not enter the U.S in 60 years. (The treaty was prolonged) 3 None of the employers want gave up those cheap and hardworking labors. (Railroad) 4. First great wave of commercial human smuggling. (Jobs, chance)