Has it started in the Industrial Revolution, with the rise in the numbers of immigrants? If so, did they actually have more freedom after they came to the US than before?

Based solely on the import duties imposed by the American government at the time (in contrast to the nothing by the UK, and more mild ones by parts of Europe), I feel like there would be a more strict interventionism by it? How wrong am I on that?

If it's completely unrelated, then where, or why?