1. The Immigration Act of 1924

2. It cut off immigration
Remember that from 1880 onward, millions of immigrants came into the U.S.
That is why we built Ellis Island.
That is why Emma Lazarus wrote the poem at the base of Statue of Liberty:
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free . . .”

3. It was aimed at the “new immigrants”
From 1880 on, millions of immigrants came from Eastern Europe (Russia) and Southern Europe (Italy).
In 1924, Congress cut off immigration from these countries.
They did not like radicals who had been influenced by the Russian Revolution.

4. It created a permanent quota system based on national origin
Congress put a ceiling (150,000) on the total number of people who could come into the U.S.
The quota system
favored immigrants from Western Europe (England, France)
shut the door on immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe.
slammed the door on immigrants from Asia.
The quota system remained U.S. immigration policy until the 1960s.

5. Why did Congress do this?
Isolationism
President Harding and the Republican Congress did not want to have anything to do with the rest of the world.
World War I was over, and they did not want to fight any more wars in Europe.
The Russian Revolution had taken place in Russia, and they did not want anything to do with communism.
Labor unrest
In 1919, everybody went on strike.
Big Business blamed foreign-born radical.

6. Religious Intolerance
America First!
The country only has so many jobs, so don’t let foreigners take those jobs.
Religious Intolerance
Immigrants from Russia could be Jewish.
Immigrants from Italy would be Catholic.
The KKK hated both.
Big Business
Before the 1920s, industry needed labor. Industrialists went to Europe and hired people.
During the 1920s, there was no shortage of labor.