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Though it is only a tiny dot in Upper New York Bay, Ellis Island is of monumental importance in American history. There between 1892 and 1924 over 22 million immigrants gained entry into the United States and began their American Dream. Today, over 40 per cent of the American population, about 100 million people, can trace their roots to these Ellis Island immigrants. Named
after Samuel Ellis, who acquired the island in 1785 and whose heirs
eventually sold it to the State of New York, Ellis Island was originally
a fort and arsenal to defend the harbor.
But when it became the site of the federal immigration center on
January 1st, 1892, it was transformed into a sort of checkpoint: here
officials registered people entering the United States from all over the
world. They also tried, with the help of health inspectors, to deny
entry to paupers, polygamists, mental defectives, criminals and people
suffering from debilitating and contagious diseases. Ninety-eight per
cent of these prospective immigrants – and sometimes as many as 10,000
in just one day – did gain entry and many within only five hours’
time. America, the melting pot, was born. A
trip to Ellis island is a must for any visitor to New York. But it is
especially worthwhile for all those people whose ancestors entered the
United States through this gateway. Tracing these relatives is now
possible, thanks to restoration done at the Island. The new American
Family Immigration History Center at Ellis Island and its website –
www.ellisislandrecords.org – both of which opened just this past April
17th, offer an archive of 22 million names of immigrants, complete with
their country of origin, departing city and the name of the ship that
brought them to this country. Hundreds of
Mormon volunteers spent 5.6 million hours extracting material
from the original paper manifests to create this database. The website
– perhaps already the most popular on this planet with 9 million hits
a day – is free of charge to anyone with Internet access. The 41
research stations inside the Center can be explored with a ticket
costing just $5. A
stop at the Island’s Museum, restored in 1990, will complete the
visitor’s journey back in time. On display are numerous authentic
objects, such as luggage, shoes,
clothing and even money. And the various documents and photos on exhibit
provide vivid testimony of the courage with which these immigrants,
frightened and tired, greeted their new home. |
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