About this Event
Saturday, September 5, 2026
Overview of Immigration
This free lecture series will provide an overview of the history of immigration to the United States from the 1600’s to the present and discuss the legal, political and attitudinal reactions to immigrants over time.
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Free White Persons in the Republic, 1790-1840
In the era of colonial immigration (pre-1776) immigration was mostly unregulated; Europeans came to this country and settled in colonies.
Saturday, October 03, 2026
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), Immigration Act of 1885, and Immigration Act of 1891.
Through these legal actions the government established federal control over immigration.
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Immigration Act of 1917 and the Emergency Quota Act.
These laws restricted immigration from Asia and added numerical limits on immigration based on nationality. Northern and Western Europeans were favored.
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Immigration Act of 1924 (Johnson-Reed Act).
Set strict quotas based on national origins, effectively reducing immigration from southern/Eastern Europe and virtually banned Asian immigrants.
Event venue & nearby stays
Parkway Central Library, First Floor, Room 108, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, United States
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