The Founders knew that commonality was a great benefit to the Republic. It brought harmony and stability. That is why the 1795 Immigration Act specified that new Americans “be attached to the principles of the United States” as “this leads to good order and harmony.” It introduced the requirement for a “declaration of intention” to be filed before the formal application. They wished to make certain that we only brought in immigrants who loved America and would put America first (you might have heard of that expression) and would screen out all others.
