Incredible Photos Of Immigrants Arriving At Ellis Island

Limiting Immigration

By 1875, the United States was restricting immigration. The country forbade prostitutes and criminals from crossing its borders. The racist Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882. Other restricted groups of people included those classified as lunatics and idiots, though these terms were meant differently than they would be today. Rather than being insults fort those deemed crazy or stupid, these terms were medical classifications for those suffering from mental illness or those with severe developmental delays. The policies after 1875 only continued to become more and more restrictive, although people were still allowed to enter the country more freely than they are today.