Ellis Island Immigration Process

Benjamin Harrison

Definition and Summary of the Ellis Island Immigration Process
Summary and Definition: Ellis Island immigration process began on 2 January, 1892 when the immigration center was opened on Ellis Island situated on the New Jersey side of Upper New York Bay, U.S. Over 15 million immigrants passed were processed between 1892 and 1954. The first immigrant to pass through the vetting process was Annie Moore, a 15 year old girl from County Cork in Ireland. The immigrants who went through the Ellis Island Immigration Process, within sight of the Statue of Liberty, were subjected to medical and legal examinations. It was given the nickname of the "Island of Tears".

Ellis Island Immigration Process
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd American President who served in office from March 4, 1889 to March 4, 1893. One of the important events during his presidency was the opening of Ellis Island immigration center in New York. This article provides facts about the immigrants to the United States and the Ellis Island immigration process.

     
   

First Ellis Island Building

The Ellis Island Building
 

Ellis Island Immigration Process: Fast Fact Sheet
Fast, fun facts for kids about the Ellis Island immigration center:

Location: New Jersey side of Upper New York Bay, U.S.

What was the process? A medical and legal inspection

Who went through the process? Steerage and third class passengers - 1st and 2nd class passengers did not

Who was the first immigrant to be processed? Annie Moore

Who was the last immigrant to be processed? Arne Peterssen

How many immigrants were processed? 15 Million

Where did the inspections take place? the Registry Room (or Great Hall)

Ellis Island History Facts for kids: Immigration Acts
Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1882 which was the first comprehensive immigration law to restrict immigrants from Europe. This was followed by the Immigration Act of 1891 which regulated immigration even further.

Steps Ellis Island Immigration Process for kids: The Steps
Interesting facts and information about each of the steps undertaken by passengers who disembarked from their ships at the piers in New York Harbor. The First and Second Class passengers were not required to undergo the inspection procedure - they were quickly checked on board then went straight to customs and into the United States. Only those who were extremely sick or with legal issues were referred to Ellis Island.

Steps Ellis Island Immigration Process for kids

Only 2% of immigrants were refused entry to the United States and Deported

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Arrival: Steerage, or third class passengers, had to undergo the inspection procedure. The stream of immigrants was endless - up to 10,000 people in a day. The procedure and method of testing new immigrants had to be fast. Up to 850 staff, including interpreters, worked in the center.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: The Piers: The migrants were transported from the piers by ferries or barge to Ellis Island where everyone would undergo a legal and medical inspection.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: The Labels: Every immigrant was labeled with their name and the name of the ship on which they arrived.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: The Baggage Room: Immigrants entered the main building through the baggage room where they left their trunks, suitcases and baskets to be claimed after the tests.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Families Separated: The men were separated from the women and children.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Stairway to the Great Hall: Although the immigrants did not know it inspection began as they climbed the steep flight of stairs and into the great hall of the Registry Room. Doctors would make an initial inspection looking for signs of a medical problem or disability and checking whether anyone was wheezing, out of breathe, coughing, scratching, shuffling or limping.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Chalk Marks: If a problem was detected (in roughly 2 out of 10) in the initial medical inspection their coat lapel or shirt marked with a letter code in colored chalk to indicate the problem. The doctors developed a code to indicate 60 problems that warranted more investigation.

"H" for heart problems
"K" for hernias
"Sc" for scalp problems
 "X" for mental disability
"Pg" for pregnant

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Physical or mental examination rooms: Those with chalk marks were segregated to await further medical tests in the physical or mental examination rooms. Those suspected of having a contagious disease was set aside in a cage apart from the rest of the immigrants.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Medical problems: The type of medical problems that caused concern were cholera, favus (scalp and nail fungus), insanity, tuberculosis, epilepsy, and trachoma, a highly contagious eye infection that could cause blindness and death.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: The Hospital: If a medical problem was curable, immigrants were sent to the island's hospital

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Deportation: Those with incurable or disabling ailments were excluded from entry and returned to their port of departure at the expense of the shipping line on which they arrived. Only 80,000 immigrants (2%) were barred from entry to the Untied States for diseases or defects - an extremely small proportion

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: The Great Hall: The immigrants were then herded into the Registry Room (or Great Hall) where the verbal inspections took place.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: The Legal Inspection: Inspectors used a list of 32 questions to determine if an immigrant should be admitted to America. These included their identity, place of origin, occupation, financial status and their planned destination in the United States. Inspectors rejected any immigrant with a criminal record

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Detention in Dormitories: People were detained on Ellis Island for a variety of reasons. Some were sent to the hospital, women and children on their own would be detained until their safety was guaranteed by the arrival of a telegram, letter, or a ticket from a relative in the United States. Others were waiting for confirmation of their status.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: The Stairs of Separation: After inspection, immigrants descended from the Great Hall down the "Stairs of Separation" so called because they marked the parting of the way for many family and friends with different destinations. Immigrants were either sent to the island's hospital and detention rooms or were granted entry into the United States.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Baggage Reclaim: After passing the tests and inspections people were allowed to reclaim their baggage.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: Money Exchange: Laws passed in 1909 required each immigrant to have at least $20 before they were allowed to enter America. In the money exchange area immigrants exchanged foreign currency for dollars, and purchased any train tickets they needed

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: The Exit and the Kissing Post: The Kissing Post was the name given to the exit from Ellis Island. It was where many happy reunions were made between immigrants and their welcoming relatives.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Steps: New Americans: Most of the new Americans took a ferry to New Jersey to begin their journeys to the destinations in the United States. The remaining immigrants boarded the ferry to Manhattan,  only one mile away, to begin their new life in New York City.

Steps Ellis Island Immigration Process for kids

Ellis Island Immigration Process for kids: US Immigration Laws
The article on US Immigration Laws History provides facts, immigration statistics and a timeline from 1800's to the present. For facts about immigration from Japan, China and Asia refer to the
Angel Island Immigration Station.

Ellis Island Immigration Process for kids
Interesting facts about the Ellis Island Immigration Process are detailed below. The history of the Ellis Island Immigration Process is told in a factual sequence consisting of a series of short facts providing a simple method of relating the history and events of the Ellis Island Immigration Process. For additional information refer to Ellis Island Facts and History.

Ellis Island Immigration Process for kids

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 1: Over 15 million immigrants to the United States were inspected at the center between 1892 and 1954.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 2: The two federal agencies responsible for processing the  immigrants were the United States Public Health Service and the Bureau of Immigration

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 3: The first immigration processing center was opened on January 1, 1892 but was destroyed by fire on June 15, 1897. During this 5 year period over 1.5 million immigrants were tested.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 4: After the fire, a Temporary Immigration Center was set up at the old Barge Office on the Battery, Manhattan, New York was used as a temporary immigration station whilst a new immigration building was built. The new, massive three-story building opened for processing immigrants on January 1, 1902.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 5: The Immigrants: 96% of immigrants arriving in New York traveled by sailing vessel from Europe to New York, the voyage took anything from 1-3 months. Traveling by steamship took 10 days.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 6: The Immigrants: European immigrants made the decision to move to America were attracted by an abundance of land & plenty of work, booming industries and a higher standard of living. They grabbed the opportunity to escape religious intolerance and political tyranny. The Statue of Liberty became the symbolic landmark of freedom for all European immigrants on the last leg of their journey from Europe to Ellis Island and a new life in the United States of America. The immigrants dreaded the tests that awaited them...

Iimmigrants arriving at Ellis Island see the Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 7: Most immigrants booked passage in steerage or third class, the cheapest accommodation in crowded and unsanitary conditions.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 8: Only 80,000 immigrants were barred from entry to the United States for diseases or defects - refer to US Immigration Laws History

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 9: The Alien Contract Labor Law of 1885 excluded all immigrants who took a job in exchange for passage.

Ellis Island Immigration Process Fact 10: The Immigrant Quota Act of 1921 and the National Origins Act of 1924  limited the number and nationality of immigrants allowed into the United States, effectively ended the era of mass immigration into New York

Ellis Island Immigration Process for kids

Push and Pull Factors
For visitors interested in the subject of immigration refer to our website on Push and Pull Factors of Immigration which provides details of why people left their homes in various countries and moved to the United States.

Ellis Island Immigration Process for kids - President Benjamin Harrison Video
The article on the Ellis Island Immigration Process provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following Benjamin Harrison video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 23rd American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1889 to March 4, 1893.

Ellis Island Immigration Process

● Interesting info with the Ellis Island Immigration Process for kids and schools
● Summary of the Ellis Island Immigration Process in US history
● The Ellis Island Immigration Process, a major event in US history
● Benjamin Harrison Presidency from March 4, 1889 to March 4, 1893
● Fast, fun, interesting facts about the Ellis Island
Immigration Process
● Foreign & Domestic policies of President Benjamin Harrison
● Benjamin Harrison Presidency and Ellis Island Immigration Process for schools, homework, kids and children

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