U.S. Borders by Cathleen Small

Author:Cathleen Small
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Greenhaven Publishing LLC

Ellis Island was once home to a fort, but it was later enlarged by reclaiming land from New York Bay.

The Gateway to the East Coast

Ellis Island is one of the most famous islands in U.S. history. More than 12 million immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island in the years from 1892 to 1954. Most people think of it as being part of New York, because it is located not far from the Statue of Liberty in Upper New York Bay. However, the island is technically mostly located in New Jersey.

New York City was a major gateway for immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many were coming from Europe by ship, and New York was one of the closest ports. It was also a booming city with many jobs and diverse neighborhoods of European immigrant populations. It seemed perfect for an immigrant coming from Europe to the United States, which is why so many headed there.

Ellis Island

In the mid to late 19th century, before Ellis Island opened, more than 8 million immigrants were processed in New York City. This indicated a clear need for some sort of processing station. Construction began around 1890, and the first facility on Ellis Island opened on January 1, 1892. That same day, more than 700 immigrants passed through the station, and over the year, nearly 450,000 more were processed there as well. In the first five years, approximately 1.5 million immigrants were processed at Ellis Island.

Exact numbers for the early years are unknown due to a fire that destroyed many records. It broke out on June 15, 1897, and destroyed the buildings on Ellis Island. Two architects, Edward Lippincott Tilton and William A. Boring, were quickly chosen to design new buildings. The newly designed facilities opened in December 1900. It was just in time, since the United States was experiencing a flood of European immigrants, due to the tensions that would soon lead to the outbreak of World War I.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.