Burlingame Treaty and Chinese Immigration

Burlingame Treaty (1868)

• Established formal friendly relations between the United States and China.
• Granted China "most favored nation" status.
• Recognized China's right of eminent domain over all its territory.
• Allowed China to appoint consuls at U.S. ports.
• Citizens of both countries had freedom of religion and were exempt from persecution.
• Granted certain privileges, but not naturalization of citizenship.
• Encouraged Chinese immigration to the U.S.

Treaty Amendment (1880)

• Opposition to Chinese immigration led to renegotiation under President Rutherford B. Hayes.
• Treaty amended to suspend Chinese immigration while protecting rights of current immigrants.
• Reversed by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

Economic Impact

• Allowed railroad corporations and mining industry to recruit Asian labor forces.

Rise of Anti-Chinese Sentiments

Dennis Kearney and the Working Men’s Party

• Dennis Kearney: California populist political leader with anti-Chinese views.
• Elected Secretary of the Working Men’s Party of California in 1877.
• Led violent attacks on Chinese immigrants and criticized Central Pacific Railroad.
• His rhetoric gained a considerable following.

Page Act (1875)

• U.S. officials ensured no contract labor or prostitution for immigrants.
• Felony to bring or keep immigrant women for prostitution (punishable by up to 5 years in prison, $5,000 fine).
• Felony to bring immigrants under contract labor (punishable by up to 1 year in prison, $500 fine).
• Enforced primarily against Chinese, marking the first federal immigration restriction.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

• Significant restriction on free immigration in U.S. history.
• Excluded Chinese unskilled and skilled laborers and those employed in mining for 10 years.
• Required Chinese to obtain certifications for re-entry after leaving the U.S.
• Made Chinese immigrants permanent aliens, excluding them from U.S. citizenship.
• Prevented Chinese community from growing or assimilating, unlike European immigrants.

Socio-Economic Factors

• Initially, Chinese tolerated in California during the gold rush.
• Anti-Chinese sentiment increased as competition grew and economy declined.
• Blamed for depressed wage levels by leaders like Dennis Kearney and Governor John Bigler.
• Formation of groups like the Supreme Order of Caucasians.
• Media and police discrimination against Chinese.