Ellis Island opened in 1892 and operated as the gateway for immigrants entering the United States until 1954, processing over 12 million people. Many immigrants came to America seeking economic opportunities and freedoms not available in their home countries. When arriving at Ellis Island, immigrants underwent medical exams to be admitted and about 2% were denied entry due to illness or criminal backgrounds. Ellis Island came to represent both hope and heartbreak for immigrants as their fate of gaining entry to America was determined there. It has played a major role in shaping modern America through the heritage of the millions of immigrants who passed through its doors seeking new lives.

1. THE HISTORY OF ELLIS
ISLAND AND WHY PEOPLE
CAME
BY JESSICA SCHNEIDER

2. O People wanted to move to America
because of the many job opportunities
and the many freedoms available here
that were not in the country they came
from. People thought many different
things about America. But what was
America in their eyes, what did they think
back then? Over twenty million people
came through the doors of Ellis Island. But
what’s the background of the island of
tears itself?

3. O In the tiny island in New York Harbor stood Ellis
Island; Ellis Island opened its doors in 1892 and
closed in 1954. It had a total of 60 years in
operation. Ellis Island is named after a tavern
owner that once operated on the island itself. A lot
of people came from Europe; for example, Jewish
people came because they wanted to escape from
political and financial issues from Russia. Also a
very large amount of Italians and Greeks came to
America because of the poverty in their home
countries. They either began to America on foot or
horseback or by train to get to the boating dock.
Just about any race from Europe came. To get to
America it took about one to two weeks on boat.

4. O The ships carried about 2,000 people it
divided them into wealth and class the first
and second class got staterooms or
cabins, and the third class were in
Steerage, Steerage was a very big open
space at the bottom of the boat. People kind
of got a hint at what life was going to be like in
America because of the many different
cultures and religions just from being on the
boat. Also to brighten the spirits of some
people they would eat chocolate bars or other
different candies.

5. O Ellis island is also known as the “heartbreak”
island because officers or doctors checked
everyone who wanted to be in America
because they thought it was important to
screen all immigrants before allowing them
into the country. Those that were sick or had
criminal records were either sent back to their
native land or were housed until they were
well enough to enter the country. So because
some families got disqualified from coming it
got the nickname of Heartbreak Island.

6. O When arriving at Ellis Island the first thing
people saw was the Statue of Liberty.
Then the ferries took the passengers to
the island to the registration.

7. O In June 14, 1897, a fire happened and
burned Ellis Island completely to the ground
and all the immigration records from all the
way back to1855. The fire started because a
stove in the finance room caught fire to the
walls because the walls contained oily sap
from trees. Immediately after the fire the
United States Treasury started a new building
plan but with one condition; it had to be
fireproof. They made the building resemble a
train station and the new building cost $1.5
million.

8. O Ellis Island was originally 3.3 acres; then
extended with landfill to make the station.
It eventually grew to 27.5 acres. The fill
they used was from the NYC subway
tunnel excavations.

9. O In just the first year almost 450,000
immigrants were processed. When the 3rd
and steerage passengers arrived they were
inspected for visual aliments: AKA the “six
second medical exam”. people who passed
went on into the great hall and the people who
didn’t got marked with chalked and detained
until they got a full physical from a doctor. The
people who passed went on to the “great hall”
to be processed. The great hall was 189 feet
by 102feet big and had a 60 foot vaulted
ceiling.

10. O The medical exams began as soon as people enter
the building and doctors would stand at the top of the
stairs and look for people who had possible problems
and then would mark your back with chalk. Every
child got their head and nails checked
O • An "X" = possible problem
O • "B" = back to home country
O • "E" = disease in your eyes
O • "P"= lung problems
O • "Sc"= scalp
O • "L" stood for lameness
O • "Ct" stood for trachoma

11. O The average process time took 3-4 hours to
complete. They got asked 29 questions like
name, occupation, and how much they had
carried. About 2% of the people got denied for
disease, criminal background, or insanity.
About 1/3 of the people stayed in New York
and the rest spread across the country. Ellis
Island was known as many different things
like “The Island of Hope” or “The Island of
Tears”. Ellis Island processed 1,004,756
people during its “peak year” in 1907. Some
famous passengers(actors)that came through
were Bob Hope, Bela Lugosi, Irving
Berlin, and Cary Grant.

12. O After the fire the new building was pretty
amazing it contained a baggage room, a
huge dining room, kitchen, and
dormitories with 600 beds, a hospital
where 350 babies were born, an outdoor
recreation center, and a roof garden.

13. O The “Immigrant Quota Act of 1921 and the
National Origins Act of 1924” slowed down
the immigration by allowing limited
number of people into the country the era
of immigration stopped in 1954.

14. O In WWII it served as a detainment center
and training faculty. But then shut down
after the war was over in 1954 because
the building was too expensive to keep up
in shape.
O Then later on in 1976 it opened to the
public as a museum now visitors can look
up family history and millions of records

15. O It’s been estimated that at least 40% of
people can trace back there history to Ellis
Island. The offspring of the immigrants
make up for over half the American
population; for example, my great
grandmother came from Greece and my
great grandfather came from Italy. They
both passed through the island and that’s
how they met.

16. O There are a good amount of reasons a
lot of the immigrants came was because of
the job opportunities and the freedoms that
came just by coming to America, just like the
Germans who came to Kansas and brought
the red wheat and made farms not owned by
any government. They wanted a new a life
that wasn’t constricted of rules upon rules.
Some of the freedoms they got were freedom
of speak and freedom of religion.

17. O A few words that sum up America
is, free, determined, and recognized. All throughout the 1900s
and even before that. People came to America because they
knew that the skies the limit and that if you work hard you can
achieve anything you want and then you could finally say “who
says we can’t do anything”. Being in the” Land of the Brave”
they wanted that freedom that they didn’t have in their home
country. They expected America to lead and be open. Also they
got the option of democracy. They knew that America was an
immigrant nation and that it was strong. Also they wanted to
enjoy the independence that they could have here. America has
a lot of determination and efficiency and the people wanted to
be a part of that. That’s what has shaped America. Estelle
Schwartz Belford came in 1905 and she said that all she could
think of was just passing through that gateway into a new
life, and all of people.

18. O were so excited they were screaming and crying
and singing to just even see America and the lady
with her hand up giving you life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness. Renee Berkoff said they
were singing “In America life is golden, in America
the flowers are more beautiful, in America the
world is much better, and that’s what I’m loaning to
be my dear”. They felt all these feelings just
because they knew that if you came to America
you could rise up into the land of opportunity and
feel that American spirit that came and to be all
that you can be. To just have that American dream
was priceless.

19. O Ellis Island was open for over 60 years.
During this time it became the beginning
point for millions of immigrants who saw
America as a place of hope and refuge. It
has partly shaped America to what it is
today and has become the point of refuge
of a lot of American heritage. Ellis Island
and the Statue of Liberty still resemble
America’s freedom and bravery even
today.

21. Work Cited
O http://www.history.com/topics/ellis-
island/videos#arrival-at-ellis-island
O http://www.ellisisland.org/genealogy/ellis_island_histo
ry.asp
O http://www.academicamerican.com/twentiesdepww2/t
opics/twenties.html
O http://www.history.com/topics/ellis-island
O http://www.history.com/topics/ellis-
island/videos#immigrants-detained-at-ellis-island
O http://www.history.com/topics/ellis-island/videos#ellis-
island-deconstructed
O http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi