Ellis Island

Ellis Island, located in New York Harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River, was at one time the main immigration port for immigrants entering the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

History

The federal immigration station opened on January 1, 1892 and was closed in November 1954 but not before processing more than 20 million immigrants. Of these 20 million, only about two percent were denied admission to the U.S. and sent back to their countries of origin for reasons such as chronic disease. Many who were allowed entry settled in New York and northern New Jersey for at least their first few years in America.

Related Topics:
January 1 - 1892 - November - 1954 - New York - New Jersey

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ellis Island was the first stop for most immigrants from Europe. There, they were processed before they could enter the United States. First, they had to pass a physical examination. Those with serious health problems or diseases were sent home. Next, they were asked a series of questions: Name? Occupation? How much money do you have? Generally, immigrant spent from hours up to a day at the island.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Louis Adamic came to America from Slovenia, in southeastern Europe, in 1913. Adamic described the night he spent on Ellis Island. He and many other immigrants slept on bunk beds in a huge hall. Lacking a warm blanket, the young man "shivered, sleepless, all night, listening to snores" and dreams "in perhaps a dozen different languages."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After 1924, Ellis Island was only used for detainees and refugees. Ordinary immigrants were processed through other facilities.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Today, Ellis Island houses a museum, reachable by ferry from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey and from the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City. The Statue of Liberty, sometimes thought to be on Ellis Island because of its symbolism as a welcome to immigrants, is actually on nearby Liberty Island.

Related Topics:
Liberty State Park - Jersey City, New Jersey - Manhattan - New York City - Statue of Liberty - Liberty Island

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~