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Ellis Island was the first port of call for many immigrants who wanted to live their American Dream – ships from all over the world arrived here. Ellis Island is located in a bay off New York in the immediate vicinity of the Statue of Liberty and was home to the American immigration authorities. Here it was decided who was allowed to immigrate – and who was not. Real American history has been written on Ellis Island and that’s what the halls radiate. I myself had already been there 2x and am still impressed by this place. Quite apart from that, you have a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan with its imposing skyline.
Where is Ellis Island in relation to the Statue of Liberty?
Ellis Island is known as the Island of Immigration; for millions of immigrants here was the first stop on American soil. Many immigrants, hoping to realize their dreams, moved to the United States of America. After all, America was known as “the land of the free and home of the brave”. Everyone here got the chance to realize themselves and pursue their own American Dream, something that was often not possible in their own country.
Located just off the mainland of New York, Ellis Island has become a symbol of the history of the 19th and 20th century wave of immigration to the United States. In 1892, the authorities set up an immigration station on the small island, which around 12 million immigrants passed through until its closure in 1954. Today Ellis Island is a popular tourist attraction of the metropolis of millions.
From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island was the gateway to a new, better world for millions of immigrants. The island, which is located in the Hudson River port area between New York City and New Jersey, is the point of contact for up to 12,000 people every day who hope for a better life when they enter the United States. Politically persecuted people, those who are excluded because of their religion or those affected by poverty land with ships in the immigration authority established by the USA on Ellis Island. Here you will have to face the strict checks of officials.
Since 1965, the 11.1-hectare island, together with the Statue of Liberty, has been given the status of a memorial site as part of the “Statue of Liberty National Monument”. Since 1990, the island and the “Ellis Island Museum of Immigration” built on it can also be visited by the public.
From the beginning to the middle of the 20th century, Ellis Island was the first port of call for immigrants seeking their fortune in America. The small island with its numerous buildings outside the urban area of New York grew over time due to land reclamation and today, together with the Statue of Liberty, serves as a museum about the history of immigration to the United States.
Nearly one in two Americans said in a 2000 census that their ancestors came to the country via Ellis Island. These figures already show the significance of the small island in Hudson Bay off New York. When the number of immigrants increased at the end of the 19th century, it became necessary to find a new point of contact for the numerous people. The island at the gates of the city was ideal for various reasons. On the one hand, the new immigrants could not enter the country without being seen, and on the other hand, a more detailed control of the persons was possible.
On December 17, 1900, the buildings necessary for the processing of immigrants were completed on Ellis Island. Originally, they were designed for a total capacity of about 500,000 immigrants per year, but at times they had to process almost twice as many immigrants. In 1924, the number of immigrants was limited by the Immigration Act, so that the operation was later no longer worthwhile. As a result, Ellis Island was closed in 1954 and finally placed under the administration of the National Park Service in 1956. After a ten-year renovation, the main building was reopened to the public as a museum on September 10, 1990.
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