When the Act was passed, Europe was entering a period of relative peace after many wars, and the United States was also becoming a more stable and prosperous nation.

There had been a few related areas where regulations had been imposed:[5][6] The first three sections regulated the conditions of travel, to prevent overcrowding and unsanitary conditions on ships:[1] Section 4 of the Act required ship captains or masters to report a list of all passengers taken on board abroad, including name, sex, age, and occupation.

Specifically, in addition to modifying the limits based on tonnage and food and water provisions, it added many regulations on such topics as deck space, hospitals, berths, ventilators, cambooses and cooking ranges, discipline and cleanliness, and privies.

"[3][8] Section 4 of the Steerage Act led to the first set of federal records on the composition of the flow of migrants to the United States.

[7][11] The regulation of the conditions of sea transportation began in the 19th century, generally before meaningful restrictions on migration were imposed.

In addition to its stated purpose of reducing unsafe and uncomfortable journeys, the Act was suspected as a way to control emigration, by making it more expensive for people to leave for Canada, where rent was cheaper.