Bayard-Zhang Treaty of 1888The Treaty: Unratified treaty between
the United States and China that was designed to resolve certain
immigration issues involving the two nations Date: Signed in
March, 1888 Significance: The Bayard-Zhang Treaty attempted to
prohibit all new Chinese immigration for twenty years and limit
the right to return of Chinese workers who had temporarily left
the United States for home visits in China. However, despite the
severity of the treaty’s immigration restrictions, they would
prove more moderate than those of some later legislation.
Provisions of the Bayard-ZhangTreaty of 1888 were instituted by
the U.S. government despite widespread public protests in rural
China and the Qing government’s refusal to agree to the treaty’s
restrictive terms. As early as 1868, the United States and China
had agreed upon unrestricted Chinese immigration. However, this
agreement, formally termed the Burlingame Treaty, was not
ratified in its entirety by representatives of both countries,
but portions o