Ellis IslandHow this National Landmark is

important to the Northeast

By Kathleen Asmussen

Where is Ellis Island?

• Ellis Island is off the coast of New Jersey in the Upper New York Bay.

• Liberty Island nearby.

Before it was Ellis Island

• 1630 – A 3.5 acre mud bank in Upper New York Bay is purchased by the Colonial Governors of New Amsterdam.

• Indians - Kioshk, or Gull Island.

• Dutch Settlers - Oyster Island

Samuel Ellis• 1776 – Samuel Ellis

owned the island. • New York merchant • Small tavern on the

island• 1808 – Samuel Ellis

died. • His heirs sold it to the

Federal Government for $10,000.

Military Importance1794-1890

• Ellis Island was mostly used as a military post for the U.S. Navy.

• War of 1812 - a fort was built to prevent British ships from coming into the harbor.

• Fort Gibson - officer that was killed during the war.

Immigration Station

• 1855 – 1890 The state of New York received approximately 8 million immigrants from England, Ireland, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries.

• In 1890 the U.S. Federal Government took control and decided to make an immigration station on Ellis Island.

• Jan. 1, 1892, the first immigrant was admitted through Ellis Island. Annie Moore, 15.

Why did so many immigrantscome to the U.S.?

• Escape war, poverty, restrictive laws, and economic decline.

• Across the Atlantic Ocean from Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia, Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Syria and more.

Inspections• Steerage (3rd Class) Passengers.• Unsanitary Conditions on Ship.• Doctors inspected passengers

onboard.• Healthy or curable illness = go to

Ellis Island.• Incurable disease = GO BACK ON

NEXT SHIP• 6 second physicals• Chalk marks for ailments; H, L, X, SI• 3 – 5 hours long• Legal inspection; 29 questions

Hopes and Dreams

• Island of Hope and the Island of Tears• 1907 – Peak year, 1 million immigrants• New jobs, new foods, new homes • “Our growth as a nation has been

achieved in large measure, through the genius and industry of immigrants of every race and from every quarter of the world. The story of their pursuit of happiness is the saga of America.”

Sources

• Websites: • www.kidsdiscover.com• www.history.com/ellisisland/timeline• www.ellisisland.org/genealogy/history• www.wikipedia/ellisisland.com• Books: • Ellis Island, Coming to the Land of Liberty, author Raymond

Bial, 2009• Ellis Island, a True Book, author Elaine Landau, 2008• A Century of Immigration, Christopher Collier, 2000

Thanks For Watching!

Assistance-Stephanie Asmussen