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Description
Located in New York Harbor, Ellis Island is a renowned and historically significant US gateway, home to a deeply moving museum. It commemorates the bravery of over 12 million immigrants who traveled for weeks under difficult circumstances and passed through this processing station between 1892 and 1924. Today, more than 100 million living Americans are descendants of these individuals, all of whom were driven by the desire to live the American dream. The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration honors their journeys with narratives, documents, photographs, film footage and personal objects. Visitors can search historic records to uncover information about their ancestors. Additionally, Ellis Island is featured in various movies, such as The Godfather: Part II and Brooklyn, and is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The public can access the island by ferry, with tickets available online to help avoid long queues.
The island was originally known as Kioshk (Gull Island) by the native Mohegan people, and was later renamed for one of its owners, Samuel Ellis. From the 19th century onward, it was used for military purposes and housed batteries and naval magazines. The US government chose to build a new immigration station on Ellis Island in response to the large influx of migrants from Europe due to political instability, economic distress, and religious persecution. On January 1st, 1892, Annie Moore, a teenage girl from Ireland, and her brothers became the first immigrants to be processed there. Over the next 62 years, more than 12 million people arrived to the US via Ellis Island. During the inspections, conducted in the Registry Room, interpreters, doctors, and officers questioned the immigrants and determined whether they would be admitted. Only 2% of people were excluded.
In 1897, a fire destroyed the immigration station and much of the government and state immigration records from 1855 were lost. A new facility was built and opened in 1900. In the early 1920s, as US policy began to restrict immigration, the number of individuals passing through Ellis Island began to decline. Embassies in other countries handled the paperwork and health inspections for immigrants. The island served various purposes until it was officially closed in 1954.
The island was originally known as Kioshk (Gull Island) by the native Mohegan people, and was later renamed for one of its owners, Samuel Ellis. From the 19th century onward, it was used for military purposes and housed batteries and naval magazines. The US government chose to build a new immigration station on Ellis Island in response to the large influx of migrants from Europe due to political instability, economic distress, and religious persecution. On January 1st, 1892, Annie Moore, a teenage girl from Ireland, and her brothers became the first immigrants to be processed there. Over the next 62 years, more than 12 million people arrived to the US via Ellis Island. During the inspections, conducted in the Registry Room, interpreters, doctors, and officers questioned the immigrants and determined whether they would be admitted. Only 2% of people were excluded.
In 1897, a fire destroyed the immigration station and much of the government and state immigration records from 1855 were lost. A new facility was built and opened in 1900. In the early 1920s, as US policy began to restrict immigration, the number of individuals passing through Ellis Island began to decline. Embassies in other countries handled the paperwork and health inspections for immigrants. The island served various purposes until it was officially closed in 1954.