On This Day, March 2, 1819, the United States passed its first immigration law, the Steerage Act of 1819, also known as the Manifest of Immigrants Act. This groundbreaking legislation was enacted by the U.S. federal government to regulate the conditions under which passengers were transported by sea, marking a significant moment in the history of U.S. immigration policy. Effective from January 1, 1820, the Steerage Act was the country’s initial step towards establishing federal control over the immigration process, focusing primarily on the safety and well-being of passengers during their voyage to America.
The act required ships carrying passengers to the U.S. to maintain standards of health and safety for those onboard and mandated the creation of detailed passenger lists, or manifests. These manifests had to include information such as passengers’ ages, occupations, and origins, laying the groundwork for more systematic immigration records in the United States.
The Steerage Act of 1819 represented the federal government’s first attempt to provide a safer and more regulated passage for immigrants seeking new opportunities in America. It underscored the growing recognition of the need to protect immigrants during their journey and served as a precursor to more comprehensive immigration laws and policies that would follow.
