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Tanya Rosa
Professor Mike Russo
Professor Lelia
COR 390-05
September 14, 2014

Ellis Island:
The American Dream

The flow of immigration was constantly changing throughout American history,
increasing at times with revolts and then slowing down tremendously due to wars. After the War
of 1812, between United States and Britain slowing down the immigration movement,
progression began at the highest speed. In the New York Harbor, an official immigration station
was constructed, less than half a mile away from the Statue of Liberty. This building would soon
become the best recognized immigration station in the world, Ellis Island officially opened on
Friday, January 1, 1892. (Willard Heaps, The Story of Ellis Island)
In the mid-1600s to mid-1700s, Ellis Island was home to Mohegan Indians then acquired
by Michael Pauuw whom admired the shellfish on the island shores, and then it was a place
where men that were convicted of piracy were hung. The little New York City island
experienced many different names before officially being named Ellis Island. In the 1770s, a
New York merchant, Samuel Ellis purchased the island nearby the occurrence of the
Revolutionary War. Prior to Samuel's death, the New York State bought the island from his
inheritance in the year 1808 for approximately 10,000 dollars (History Channel, Ellis Island).
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Under the U.S. War Department, this land was to be used by the state for military
purposes during the War of 1812. In later years, Ellis Island was used for the Union army during
the Civil War. Ellis Island was left empty preceding the Civil War, until the government replaced
the then, current New York Immigration station, Castle Garden. During this time, immigration
control was now in the hands of the Federal government and Ellis Island became the first station
under Federal immigration control. In future years, Ellis Island is damaged, recreated, additional
space, and buildings are added (History Chanel, Ellis Island).
In the period between the late 1800s and the mid-1950s is when Ellis Island experienced
the largest number of people from all over the world, in pursuit of everything America
supposedly had to offer. To be exact, the years 1880 to 1924 were considered peak immigration
years in United States history. Approximately 12 million people walked through the doors of
the Ellis Island station and at times the amount of immigrants being housed was overwhelming
(Rebman). Individuals were coming from all across the world for all different reasons but greatly
with the same goal, the "American Dream."
In the years between 1880 and 1920, America experienced several different cultures and
individuals from every part of the World. First, the old immigrants were the thousands of
immigrants whom came from Germany and Ireland. Then the Gilded Age bought many
immigrants from Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Russia, and Croatia. These groups of
immigrants were mainly Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox but with the persecution of the
Jewish people increasing tremendously in Europe, the Jewish immigrants had arrived in
America.

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Immigrants were fleeing their homeland due to economic suffering, food shortages,
religion, or war. These people were seeking job opportunities, money, political freedom,
religious freedom, economic comfort, and education for their children. Overall, every individual
journeyed across the ocean in ships to come to America in bettering their life for themselves and
family. Their decisions came from the stories they heard either from family, friends, or word of
mouth that America had many job opportunities and hopefully better their lives.
Although arriving at Ellis Island symbolized freedom, hope, a new and better life to
these immigrants, what they had to experience there was not at all "dream like." Not every
individual whom packed their things, basically throwing their lives away back home and making
the decision to come to America, had the complete certainty that they would have been granted
the ability to enter. Those who were courageous enough to make the decision endured suffering
from traveling to when they arrived at Ellis Island.
Before the immigrants began their journey sailing across the oceans, many of them sold
everything they had and left nothing behind in pursuit of their new lives. The first step was for
all immigrants to pack aboard on the ships. The immigrants traveled on large passenger ships for
several weeks, crammed on deck, crowded below deck, privacy was disregarded, and many were
stripped form their dignity. The financial ability of immigrants classified the conditions in which
they would travel in. For example, the poorer immigrants aboard experienced a difficult and
unhealthy traveling condition.
When the passenger boat finally arrived near New York City, the immigrants traveled on
ferry boats to the Ellis Island piers and climb the staircase to the Great Hall. After entering into
the large building where many would change their lives forever, they waited for examinations.
At the top of the stairs waited doctors whom would be watching the immigrants climb, trying to
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detect any form of medical conditions. Therefore, the eyes and pure judgment of American
doctors were medically examining these immigrants, without them knowing.
The eye exam was known to be the most painful health examination that the immigrants
would pass through. There were several other requirements that were needed to pass and many
did not have the luck to be able to pass through. Once the immigrants reached the name process,
the fear of correcting the American authority recording the name, many times alterations of
original names occurred, leaving immigrants with Americanized names. The modification of
names of these immigrants would make it tough for others to be able to locate and communicate
with their friends and family.
Although, America would be offering millions of immigrants a better life than they would have
had, these individuals suffered rough times throughout. With the mission in mind of the
American dream, many did not complain and stuck through it. These immigrants would later
create jobs and fuel the American economy. Every individual whom passed through the doors of
Ellis Island created American history, whether they were granted authority to citizenship or not.
The immigrants whom were rejected from their dreams and the hardships encountered by the
immigrants is what makes this event in history much significant.
In the years between 1920 and 1935, the Immigration Quota Act was passed by the
current president, Warren Harding. This limited the annual immigration measure from all
countries to only 3 percent of the total amount of immigrants from a country whom lived in
America. Then the National Origins Act of 1924 put a limitation on allowing only 165 thousand
individuals to total annual immigration numbers. The act also placed a fixed quota on immigrant
allowance into the United States from certain countries (History Channel, Ellis Island).
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With the Great Depression stressing the lives of many, the mass immigration movement
undergoes a decline and more immigrants leaving than arriving. Therefore, the Ellis Island
buildings become vacant and abandoned. In later years, Ellis Island is used for storage space and
to house prisoners whom may have been communist. Then all Ellis Island structures are
officially closed down by November of 1954. Finally, funds are raised to restore and preserve the
historical point of NYC. Ellis Island is opened to the public in the year of 1976 under the
National Park Service along with the Statue of Liberty.
To this day, worldwide, United States is known to be the melting pot of the world with
people from all over the world, in pursuit of a better life. New York remains to be the most well-
known immigration center of the American history. Although, many immigrants came to New
York to enter and then were sent to different states to live their lives, every one individual
nevertheless contributed to the creation of the New York City culture and history. As said,
"Thus, that vast deserted immigration station, which once aroused so much fear, now suggests
the fulfillment of millions of dreams" (Rebman 266). Ellis Island is no longer the immigration
station for New York City but it will always remain the place in which people sought out their
dreams. The experiences of Ellis Island will always be remembered by many and remain in the
history of not only New York but American history. Today, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
is one of the several places in New York City that is visited by hundreds of tourists every day.





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Works Cited
Bell, James B., and Richard I. Abrams. In Search of Liberty: The Story of the Statue of Liberty
and Ellis Island. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1984. Print.

"Ellis Island." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2014.

Heaps, Willard A. The Story of Ellis Island. New York: Seabury, 1967. Print

Rebman, Renee C. Life on Ellis Island. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2000. Print

Shapiro, Mary J. Gateway to Liberty. New York: Vintage, 1986. Print