The Evolution of U.S. Immigration at Ellis Island
When Ellis Island opened, it marked a significant shift in U.S. immigration patterns. Fewer immigrants were arriving from northern and western Europe—countries like Germany, Ireland, Britain, and the Scandinavian nations. Instead, the U.S. saw a surge in immigrants from southern and eastern Europe.
This new wave included Jews escaping political and economic oppression in czarist Russia and eastern Europe, Italians fleeing poverty, and people from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia, and Greece. Non-Europeans from Syria, Turkey, and Armenia also sought refuge in the United States.
Various factors drove these immigrants from their homelands, including war, drought, famine, and religious persecution. They all shared the hope of finding greater opportunities in the New World.
Upon arrival at Ellis Island after a challenging sea journey, immigrants were tagged with information from their ship's registry and waited in long lines for medical and legal inspections to determine their eligibility for entry into the United States.
From 1900 to 1914, during the peak years of Ellis Island's operation, an average of 1,900 people passed through the immigration station daily. Most completed the process in a few hours, but some were detained for days or weeks.
Many immigrants stayed in New York, while others traveled by barge to railroad stations in Hoboken or Jersey City, New Jersey, continuing to various destinations across the country.
Ellis Island Museum of Immigration
The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 and the National Origins Act of 1924 limited the number and nationality of immigrants allowed into the U.S., effectively ending the era of mass immigration to New York City. Consequently, fewer immigrants were processed at Ellis Island, which then primarily served as a temporary detention center.
Between 1925 and Ellis Island's closure in 1954, 2.3 million immigrants passed through the New York City port, more than half of all immigrants entering the U.S. during that time.
Ellis Island reopened to the public in 1976. Visitors today can tour the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration in the restored Main Arrivals Hall and trace their ancestors through millions of immigrant arrival records made available to the public in 2001.
Thus, Ellis Island remains a central destination for millions of Americans seeking to explore their country's history and their family's heritage.
Timeline of Ellis Island
**1630-1770**
Originally called Kioshk, or Gull Island, by the Mohegan tribe, the island was later acquired by the Dutch in 1630 and named Oyster Island for its abundant shellfish. By the 1760s, it became known as Gibbet Island, a site for hanging pirates.
**1775-1865**
New York merchant Samuel Ellis purchased the island around the Revolutionary War and built a tavern. After Ellis's death in 1794, New York State bought the island in 1808 for $10,000. The U.S. War Department used it for military purposes, including during the War of 1812 and the Civil War. In 1790, the first federal immigration law allowed all white males living in the U.S. for two years to become citizens.
**1865-1892**
Post-Civil War, the island was vacant until the federal government replaced the New York immigration station at Castle Garden, closing in 1890. With $75,000 allocated for construction, the island's size was doubled using landfill from incoming ships' ballast and subway tunnel excavations. Laws began to restrict certain immigrants, starting in 1875.
**1892**
The first Ellis Island Immigration Station opened on January 1, 1892, processing 700 immigrants that day and nearly 450,000 in its first year. Over the next 50 years, more than 12 million people would pass through.
**1893-1902**
In June 1897, a fire destroyed the main building and all records. The new fireproof facility opened in December 1900, and President Theodore Roosevelt appointed a new commissioner to overhaul operations.
**1903-1910**
Additional landfill expanded the island to over 27 acres. In 1907, Ellis Island saw a record 11,747 immigrants in a single day and over 1 million in a year. Laws continued to restrict entry for various groups.
**1911-1919**
World War I caused a sharp decline in immigration. Ellis Island was repurposed for military use and as a detention center for enemy aliens. Literacy tests and bans on nearly all Asian immigrants were introduced. Post-war, the Red Scare led to the internment and deportation of immigrant radicals.
**1920-1935**
The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 and the Immigration Act of 1924 set strict immigration limits. The Great Depression further reduced immigration, and the buildings on Ellis Island fell into disuse.
**1949–1955**
Ellis Island saw a brief resurgence with the Internal Security Act of 1950. The number of detainees dwindled by 1952, leading to the island's closure in 1954.
**1965-1976**
In 1965, Ellis Island was placed under the National Park Service and became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 abolished the quota system, allowing more diverse immigration. The island opened to the public in 1976, attracting over 50,000 visitors.
**1982-1990**
A major restoration project led by Lee Iacocca began in 1982, culminating in the reopening of the Main Arrivals Building in 1990 as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Immigration continued to be a hot topic in the 1980s and 1990s, with significant legislative changes.
**1998**
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that New Jersey had authority over the south side of Ellis Island. By the end of the 20th century, immigration patterns had shifted, with more immigrants coming from Mexico, the Philippines, Korea, and other countries.
**2001**
The American Family Immigration History Center opened, allowing visitors to access immigrant arrival records. Post-9/11, the Department of Homeland Security took over many immigration functions.
**2008-Present**
The "Peopling of America" exhibit opened in 2015, expanding the museum's scope to the entire American immigration experience. Immigration remains a contentious issue in contemporary politics.
Trivia
**The First Arrival**
On January 1, 1892, Annie Moore from County Cork, Ireland, was the first person processed at the new Ellis Island immigration station. She received a greeting from officials and a $10 gold piece. She traveled with her brothers on the S.S. Nevada and reunited with her parents in New York.
**Beware the Buttonhook Men**
Immigrants were checked for over 60 diseases and disabilities. The examination for trachoma, a contagious eye condition, involved turning eyelids inside out with a buttonhook, a painful and memorable procedure for many.
**Dining at Ellis Island**
Food at Ellis Island included beef stew, potatoes, bread, herring, baked beans, and stewed prunes. Immigrants were introduced to new foods like bananas, sandwiches, and ice cream. A kosher kitchen was established in 1911 to meet dietary needs.
**Famous Names**
Notable individuals who passed through Ellis Island include composer Irving Berlin, bodybuilder Charles Atlas, actress Claudette Colbert, and psychologists Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. Some, like Charlie Chaplin, gained fame in the U.S.
**A Future Mayor**
Fiorello La Guardia, future New York City mayor, worked as an interpreter at Ellis Island from 1907 to 1910 while attending law school. His experiences led him to advocate for fair treatment of immigrants.
**“I’m Coming to New Jersey”**
In 1998, the Supreme Court ruled that New Jersey had authority over most of Ellis Island. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani famously remarked that his immigrant grandfather knew he was coming to New York, not New Jersey, highlighting the emotional and historical significance of Ellis Island to New Yorkers.
0 Comments