From Europe to “The Golden Door” Ellis Island From Europe to “The Golden Door”

100 Million Americans Can Trace Ancestry to Ellis Island 12 Million pass through from 1892 – 1954 Peak years from 1892 – 1924 11,747 processed on one day 1907 Quotas begin to restrict immigrants 1924 Used as detention center for enemy aliens 1943 Closes doors 1954

America’s Premier Immigration Station 1890 – Federal Government establishes Bureau of Immigration & selects Ellis Island as site of new immigration station for port of New York 1892 – Ellis Island opens it doors January 1 1897 – Fire destroys original wood buildings 1900 – Ellis Island re-opens in its present Beaux-Art style

Saving Ellis Island 1965 – Taken over by National Park Service 1974 – Restore Ellis Island committee formed 1983 – Restoration begins 1990 – Ellis Island Immigration Museum opens September 10 1992- Ellis Island Centennial

First Wave of Immigration 1830s / 1850s – Northwestern Europeans flee starvation, feudal governments & social upheaval from the Industrial Revolution. They came here from: Ireland Germany Scandinavia As well as China

Second Wave of Immigration A “Flood-Tide” from Eastern & Southern Europe Fleeing burdens of high taxes, poverty & overpopulation, oppression & religious persecution

Second Wave of Immigration A Monumental Decision Leaving Family & Friends Maybe to Never See Them Again & Begin a New Life in America

The Ship’s Manifest Before Boarding Ship, Each Passenger was Subjected to De-Lousing & Questioning A Series of 29 Questions were Asked Answers were Written on the Ship’s Manifest In English Documenting Information for Genealogists Today

The Ship’s Manifest

Leaving Europe for America $12.00 Ticket 10-14 Day Journey 3rd Class Steerage Crude Conditions

Onboard Ship

End of the Journey “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor. Your Huddled Masses Yearning to Breathe Free, The Wretched Refuse of Your Teeming Shore… “

Arrival At Ellis Island Transferred from Ship to the Island via Ferry Sometimes Waiting for Hours to be Moved And Reach the Golden Door to America

Welcome to America!

The Waiting Room

The Great Hall

The Waiting Is Over Now began a series of tests that would determine your fate Only 2 % were sent back 2% of 12 Million

The Inspection Line

The Medical Exam Medical Inspectors watched the people & marked them with chalk The exam was frightening & embarrassing Many varied ailments could send you home

Chalk Marks Used at Ellis Island X – Suspected Mental Defect Circled X- Definite Signs of Mental Defects C- Conjunctivitis CT – Trachoma E- Eyes F- Face Ft- Feet G- Goiter H- Heart K- Hernia N- Neck L- Lameness P- Physical & Lungs PG- Pregnancy SC- Scalp S- Senility SI- Special Inquiry

The Eye Exam Eyes were special treatment Each person had their eyes examined, usually with a hook to flip them up. They were looking for Trachoma

Trachoma & Fauves Trachoma & Fauves were the 2 main diseases that would send you home Fauves is a skin fungus Trachoma is a version of “Pink Eye”

The Questions Asked a Series of 29 Questions The Same as Were Asked Before Leaving Europe To See if Your Story Remained the Same

The Mental Exam Immigrants who Looked “Out of the Ordinary” Were Given Mental Exams If You Failed the Exams (3 Chances), You Were Deported Or Sent to DC to Become a Congressman

Making it Once All the Testing Was Done, You Were Allowed to Leave the Island & Become an American Or Become a “Bird of Passage”

The Streets Are Paved with Gold I came here believing the streets were paved with gold. I found out the streets weren’t paved at all, And I was expected to pave them!

Nativist Resistance

Too Many Undesirables The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 effectively ends Chinese immigration A growing Nativist movement grips the nation WWI & the Russian Revolution promotes Xenophobia

Limiting Immigration Quota system instituted in 1922 Limits immigrants to a percentage of ethnic group already in the U.S. Favors “desirable” immigrants over others

America, The Melting Pot Our Unique Blend of Ethnicity has Resulted in a New & Distinct Culture Amongst the Nations of the World Are We Really a Melting Pot? Or More Like A Tossed Salad?

Ethnic Diversity Builds a Nation

Every Culture Contributed

To Make Us What We Are Today

Tracing Your Family History www.ellisisland.org Search Passenger records Add a Relative’s Name to the “Wall of Honor”

The End