Elis Island: The Gateway To America

From 1852 to 1954 twelve millions people passed from Elis island in order to find a better life and achive the American Dream. Those people traveled from miles away under difficult conditions to find hope. Ellis Island afforded them the opportunity to attain the American dream for themselves and their descendants.

Situated only one half mile from the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, Ellis Island attracts over 3 million visitors each year. Many come because the island is part of their family's history, others visit because the immigrant experience is such a key part of the American identity.

Ellis Island accepted it's first new arrivals on New Year’s Day 1892, when the steamship Nevada arrived with 124 passengers from Europe. The first would-be immigrant to set foot on the island was Annie Moore, a teenager from County Cork in Ireland who had crossed the Atlantic with her 11 and 7-year-old brothers en route to reuniting with family in New York. Upon arrival at Ellis Island, immigrants were ushered into a room called the Great Hall and paraded before a series of medical officers for physical inspection. Most were allowed to pass by in a matter of seconds, but those whom the doctors deemed physically or mentally deficient were marked with chalk and taken away for additional screening.

Although most immigrants processed at Ellis Island stayed between three and five hours, about 20% stayed overnight in dormitory rooms until their cases could be cleared.

On November 12, 1954, the once bustling immigration inspection port at Ellis Island was shut down after more than 62 years in operation.

At the Immigration Museum in the main building, the 30-minute film Island of Hope, Island of Fears introduces visitors to Ellis Island and the immigrant experience. Here visitors can find out surprising facts about immigration, such as the largest single day of immigration occurred on April 17, 1907, when 11,741 immigrants were processed or that while most immigrants were granted access to America, an unfortunate 2% were sent back to their port of origin, due to health problems or lack of finances.

Find more pictures at my photo gallery and if you are looking for the best way to visit the island of hope and uncover the history of million peoples who live and work in America just answer five simple questions at my secret section and get ready to find HOPE.

P.s. You can access the island with Statue Cruises ferry which provides daily service from Battery Park, Manhattan and from the Central Railroad Terminal building in Liberty State Park in New Jersey.