Ellis Island: A Short Story

From it’s opening in 1892 to it’s closing in 1954 more than 12 million people passed through Ellis Island on their way to finding a new and better life. In the 1630s, Michael Paauw purchases the island and renames it Oyster Island because of the shellfish on the beach. Then during the 1700s, it is known as Gibbet Island for its gallows tree used to hang men charged with piracy. During the Revolutionary War Samuel Ellis purchases the island, and builds a restaurant on it for the local fisherman. After Samuel Ellis dies the State of New York buys the island so it can be used to build military fortifications and store ammunition. In 1890, $75,000 is used for construction of the first federal immigration station on Ellis Island. the island’s size

The Ellis Island known today was founded by the New York State government in 1855 and it was the first immigrant processing station established in the United States. This maverick immigrant processing station was originally based on an island off the southwest tip of Manhattan, Castle Garden. The NY State Government placed this Immigrant processing station off shore for two main reasons. The first of those reasons being, for the protection of the immigrants who were often robbed or tricked out of their already meager funds by city swindlers. Also, to further prevent the spread of any infectious diseases that potential immigrants may have been carrying. Prior to the establishment of the Castle Garden processing station, Immigrants were allowed to simply walk freely into Manhattan harbor after departing from their ships. In April of 1890, due to legal issues, the castle garden project was ended and the US government purchased a swampy and small island to the to the southeast of Manhattan, where they would construct a new immigrant processing center and

Ellis Island was the stopping grounds from 1892 to 1954, for over twelve million immigrants, who entered the United States as a way to conquer new opportunities and live a better life that mirrors the American Dream . Ellis Island is a small island that sits in the S hadow of The Statue of Liberty right off the tip of Manhattan by the coast of New Jersey within the New York Harbor. It was the major harbor for immigrant’s entry, all who came, arrived by steamboats and had one to two weeks of travel. On the steamboat the passengers were divided according to wealth and class. The staterooms and cabins were designed for the first and second class passengers and the large open space at the bottom of the boat was called “steerage” this area was assigned

According to History.com, “it is estimated that close to 40% percent of all U.S citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors of Ellis Island.” This information is important because it shows you how big of a role Ellis Island played in U.S immigration. Ellis Island was important to many immigrants because it meant freedom, new possibilities, and a new life.

From the years 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island most famously used as a station to inspect and process almost twelve million immigrants that were coming in from all around the world. It’s located in the Upper New York Bay on an island that takes up almost twenty-eight acres of land; making it take up part of New Jersey. Even though that it was famous for being the first Federal immigration station, it has an important history long before this title.

There has been many immigrants coming to the United States through Ellis Island. The immigration process takes a long time because of all of the steps that they have to go through.

Feel different when walking into a new home or building according to the atmosphere inside? Now Imagine walking through the Gateway to a Whole New World where only one lone- translator who will not be with you once you step beyond the gateway, is the only person besides your parents who speaks the same language as you. What might happen to you before, during, and after passing through the doors of Ellis Island? For 62 years, millions of immigrants passed through the changing doors of Ellis Island on their way to becoming Americans, but their journeys are only part of the story (Jones 1). That’s why I decided to ask my grandmother her story of passing through the many doors of Ellis Island. Once a vacant island of sand in the Hudson River, before 1951, Ellis Island was once used for storing ammo, hanging pirates, as a detention center (during both WWI & WWII) ,a hospital, a psychiatric ward, then the immigration station it is most known for through the 1954:, and today it is currently used as the Ellis Island Immigration n museum and American History Center. Before my German grandmother entered the U.S through Ellis Island, the Island had

The video, “Ellis Island Island Deconstructed”, communicates that even though immigration is a long and hard process, people are still willing to go through with it. In the video, it is said that about 1.2 million people were processed when they were still open for operations. 1.2 million people that were there for the average of three to four hours( some even more) being processed, questioned, and examined. Some might not even be granted admission into the United States even after being there for days. The conditions weren’t the best either. Because of the large amount of people, everything was cramped and space was tight. Pictures from the video indicated that a lot of people would be crammed into one room that wasn’t even that big. After

History is the totality of all past human events, and historiography is the written record of what is known about our lives and societies. In the recent past, history lessons were meant to convey a certain patriotism or to turn an immigrant into a “true American,” but today too many historians are using historical analysis for political purposes. This probably dates to the tumultuous times of the 1960s. Gordon Wood offers a prescription for the proper use of history. Shunning the ideologues of today, he believes historians should “seek to study past events not to make trans-historical generalizations about human behavior but to understand those events as they actually were, in all their peculiar contexts and circumstances.”

The Ellis Island website (http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger) has a searchable database that begins in 1892 and goes through 1957.

Field work at Ellis Island 2015 Spent the day at the Ellis Island Monument, listening to the auditory evidence, saw some of the holding rooms where the immigrants were held, the medical examination room were immigrants were further inspected, the detention room and the main hall where all the immigrants would wait to be told if they could go onto the mainland. Because of a flood that had happened in previous years, some of the evidence had been destroyed and visitors weren’t allowed to see the other building on the island.

Ellis Island, New York, reopened for business in 1990, but now the customers are tourists, not immigrants. This spot, which lies in New York Harbor, was the first American soil seen or touched by many of the nation’s immigrants. Though other places also served as ports of entry for foreigners, none has the symbolic power of Ellis Island. Between its opening in 1892 and its closing in 1954, over 20 million people, about two-thirds of all immigrants, were detained there before taking up their new lives in the United States. Ellis Island processed over 2000 newcomers a day when immigration was at its peak between 1900 and 1920.

Waiting in the line to cross the border I started thinking about how long it had been since I had been Mexico. This part of Mexico isn’t where I’m from, but I can’t help but be remembered of what my life used to be when I did live in Mexico.

It was an early Sunday afternoon when I got the call from my little brother giving me the news; at the time I was with at my friends house and we had just bought snacks to eat while we watched a movie. At first I was in shock, I couldn’t formulate a full sentence other than, “I have to go.” I tried explaining what was going on in a way that didn’t raise to much alarm, but my mouth and gut would only allow me to say “I have to go” despite my greatest efforts. On the way to my mother’s house I ran scenarios through my head on how I wanted to handle the situation when I got there, I decided that it would be best to not show my sorrow, and be the strong shoulder to lean on while I reminded her that everything was going to be ok. As I climbed up the stairs and opened the door my self-control was gone, the tears began to pour down my face as I hugged my

Opening my eyes, I spotted my loving father running towards me with a shocking and worried view on his face. He picked me up with his protective gentle but rough, hard-working hands. With uneasiness he asked me if I was going to be okay. My side was killing like the feeling of being stabbed by a knife. While my face dripping blood everywhere, I tried to mutter out “yes” through the sprinkling tears and shaking of my body. A lady then pulled over to the side of the road and dashed to us. She proceeded to ask my dad what happened and if he needed any help. He told her anxiously what had happened and that we were fine. My dad carried me to the little car where he laid me down in the front seat after giving me a gentle kiss on my forehead. The seat felt miniature and