The Chinese Exclusion Act Of 1882 During The Gilded Age

The Racist Chapter of America “Notice! Communist, Nihilist, Socialist Fenian, and Hoodlum welcome, but no admittance to Chinamen” (Gates of Liberty 1). Immigration reached its height during the Gilded Age which frequently thought of as the period between 1865 to 1930. In seventy years, the population of immigrants swelled from just a few million to fifteen million with most of the immigrants coming from Asia “The Chinese made up of seventy percent of immigrants coming into America from the Gilded Age” (Rise of Industrial America 6). Congress had to do something about this immigration problem, so the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 established a moratorium on Chinese immigration for ten years and deported anyone who came after the year 1880. The enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion act of 1882 during the Gilded age had a tremendous effect on the economy in the Bay area, population of immigrants in America, and the social class of America during the 1800s. Before the Chinese Exclusion Act was ratified, most of the Chinese in America were laborers. During the Gilded age, most of the

It grew by two percent from the population before it each year. “...The increase of the population between 1800 and 1880 was two percent with most of the newcomers being immigrants...” (McLennan 7). Immigrants mostly came to California because of the Gold Rush that occurred from 1848 to 1855. “At the beginning of the year 1849 there, in the state were only fifty-four Chinamen. At the news of the gold discovery a steady immigration commenced which continued until 1876, at which time the Chinese in the United States numbered 151,000 of whom 116,000 were in the state of California” (Norton 3). The Chinese additionally went to California because it was a developing state, wanted to find jobs and settle there, and “American businessmen actively sought Chinese laborers...” (Whiting