Ellis Island was the first solid ground in America on which 12 million people stepped with hopes, anxieties and dreams. The station opened its doors for immigrants in 1892, and by the time it closed over half a century later, it had become a symbol for a fresh start and the promise of great opportunity. Today, the National Park Service estimates that around 40% of Americans can trace at least one ancestor back to the island. Its legacy is not a perfect one, but for many, understanding their family’s history means exploring the story of Ellis Island.
The STORY of ELLIS ISLAND
NEW BEGINNINGS • AMERICA’S GATEWAY TO OPPORTUNITY
A TIMELESS DILEMMA • HOW THE COUNTRY WELCOMED AND PROCESSED IMMIGRANTS BEFORE ELLIS ISLAND
THE PLACE • ELLIS ISLAND HAD MANY USES
THE PROCESS • WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO COME TO THE U. S. THROUGH ELLIS ISLAND
THE IRISH • THE BEGINNING OF THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE IN MODERN AMERICA
THE ITALIANS • THE BIGGEST WAVE OF EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS WAS NOT EXACTLY WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS
THE GERMANS • SOME OF AMERICA’S EARLIEST IMMIGRANTS ESTABLISHED LASTING BUSINESSES AND TRADITIONS
MAKING A NAME • FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO PASSED THROUGH ELLIS ISLAND
MODERN TIMES • THE CHANGING USES OF ELLIS ISLAND REFLECT THE COUNTRY’S COMPLICATED EVOLUTION
The Story of Ellis Island
PHOTO CREDITS