A Level History - America - Practice Exam

Which act significantly reduced immigration numbers in the early 20th century?

1. Immigration Quota Act

2. National Origins Act

3. Emergency Quota Act

4. Chinese Exclusion Act

The correct answer is: National Origins Act

The National Origins Act, enacted in 1924, was pivotal in drastically reducing the numbers of immigrants allowed into the United States. It implemented a system that established quotas based on the national origin of immigrants. This law aimed to maintain the ethnic composition of the U.S. population as it was in 1890, thereby significantly favoring immigrants from Northern and Western Europe and severely limiting those from Southern and Eastern Europe, as well as virtually excluding immigrants from Asia. The context of the National Origins Act is important; it was part of a broader nativist movement in the U.S. that sought to restrict immigration during a time of economic uncertainty and sociopolitical change. This act reinforced existing prejudices and reflected a desire to preserve a particular American identity. While the Chinese Exclusion Act did limit immigration—as the first significant federal legislation to restrict immigration based on nationality—it specifically targeted Chinese laborers and was enacted in 1882. The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 laid the groundwork for the more restrictive measures that would be codified in the National Origins Act but did not implement as stringent limitations. The Immigration Quota Act is often confused with the National Origins Act, but it does not have the same level of historical impact in reducing immigration numbers