Which legislation aimed to limit immigration during the Gilded Age?

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was a significant piece of legislation aimed specifically at restricting immigration, particularly targeting Chinese laborers. This act marked the first time the U.S. federal government implemented a policy that limited immigration based on a specific nationality. It was a response to widespread anti-Chinese sentiment, particularly in the western United States, where economic competition and racial prejudice fueled calls for exclusion.

The act prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years and later became a recurring source of racial exclusion. It reflected the nativist attitudes prevalent during the Gilded Age, a period marked by rapid industrialization and a great influx of immigrants from various parts of the world, leading to social tensions and economic competition. The Chinese Exclusion Act laid the groundwork for subsequent restrictive immigration policies in the United States, illustrating how legislation can influence and reflect societal attitudes about race and immigration.

In contrast, the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Homestead Act, and the Voting Rights Act either addressed different issues or came about at different times in U.S. history, making them unrelated to the specific aim of limiting immigration during the Gilded Age.