Immigration

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Immigration to the United States increased throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.  Many considered these immigrants to America dangerous, as they often retained the language, customs, and lifestyles of their native lands and prejudice even before World War I against immigrants was rife in all parts of the country.  With war breaking out in Europe in August of 1914, and the United States' entrance into the war in 1917, immigration to America was abruptly cut off.  It resumed in 1919, but with increased tensions.  The early 1920s saw a flow of federal quota legislation strictly limiting how many people of each nationality could enter the U.S. on a yearly basis, with preferential treatment given to immigrants of northwestern Europe.