jan 1, 1884 - Immigration Restriction League Founded

Description:

Founded in the midst of an economic depression, this organization proposed to require immigrants to pass a literacy test that most southern and eastern Europeans would presumably fail. Although this literacy requirement was never enacted, Congress would restrict the number of Southern and Eastern European immigrants that entered the US less than 30 years later. In the meantime, IRL propaganda encouraged northern universities to establish quotas limiting the admission of new immigrants. (Continuity: nativist sentiment resulting in discrimination against immigrants)

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