Ellis Island was an immigration processing center from 1892 to 1954, with over 12 million immigrants passing through. Before this, it was used for oyster harvesting and as a military fort. The island is now a National Monument and houses the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
Ellis Island is an island in Upper New York Bay near the mouth of the Hudson River. The historical uses of this island have been varied, but it is best remembered for the time it served as an immigration processing center, from 1892 to 1954. Over 12 million immigrants are estimated to have passed through Ellis Island on their way to the United States and 40% of Americans can trace ancestors to this island.
Before it was an immigration station, Ellis Island was known as Gull Island to the Native Americans who lived in the area. The Dutch used the island to harvest oysters and sold it to Samuel Ellis in 1785. Ellis named the island after himself and opened a tavern there, and when the island was purchased by the State of New York, the name stuck same. In 1808, the state sold the island to the federal government, which initially established a military fort and munitions depot there.
In the 1890s, faced with the growing difficulty of processing immigrants at Castle Garden in Manhattan, the government decided to turn Ellis Island into an immigration station. The size of the island was greatly increased with the use of landfill material and a central hall was built along with dormitories, medical treatment facilities and other administrative buildings. All new entries to the United States were required to pass through the island for inspection before being allowed into the country.
About 2% of immigrants have been rejected in their countries of origin. This decision was usually made due to pending medical or legal issues that seemed to become a problem. Others were recorded in log books and sent to the mainland. A computerized Ellis Island Book Registry is available for genealogical research. In 1917, a literacy test was required for new immigrants, and quotas began to be instituted in the 1920s, and most of the immigration process was entrusted to American consulates in the country of origin. In 1954, the island ceased to be an immigration processing center.
In 1965, Ellis Island was listed as a National Monument and passed into the care of the National Parks Service. By the 1970s, the island was in poor shape, and the Parks Service worked to restore the grounds and buildings, opening the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in 1990. Modern visitors to the island travel by ferry and are able to explore the buildings and see historical material of interest.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
