There have always been border controls. Before precise land borders became a thing, the checkpoints were more likely to be at natural bottlenecks such as bridge

There have always been border controls. Before precise land borders became a thing, the checkpoints were more likely to be at natural bottlenecks such as bridges, mountain passes, harbors, and city gates. Even in the period of supposedly free international travel before WW1, the US government barred a large number of people from entering the country.