Immigration: Ellis Island

& Life in

AmericaThe late 1800’s to

1920’s

Why were people leaving home??

• Leaving crop failures

• Land & job shortages

• Rising taxes

• Famine

Steam-powered ships crossed the Atlantic in 2-3 weeks….

Major port cities in the US:

From Europe:• Boston, MA• Philadelphia, PA• Baltimore, MDFrom Asia:• San Francisco, CA• Seattle, WA

The largest US port, however, was Ellis Island in the New York

Harbor….

Lady Liberty greeted the newcomers…

TOUR OF ELLIS ISLAND: The Arrival

New arrivals were taken by ferry to the main building

at Ellis Island. Opened in 1892, the first immigrant to arrive was a 15-year-old girl from

Ireland named Annie Moore to

join her parents in New York City.

                                                                                                                   

TOUR OF ELLIS ISLAND: Baggage Room

Immigrants entered the main building through its ground

floor baggage room. They left their bags, etc. here until they

were finished. Immigrants with only a few belongings carried

their things as they climbed the stairs to

the Great Hall for medical and legal

examinations.

                                                                                                                   

TOUR OF ELLIS ISLAND: Stairways to the Great Hall

The first test the immigrants had to

pass became known as the "six second medical exam.“ Doctors

would watch them climb these

stairs…if they had problems, they

were sent for a full examination.

                                                                                                                   

TOUR OF ELLIS ISLAND: Medical Exam By 1917, complete medical exams were

required for every immigrant. Purpose= to

find out if they had a contagious disease. If

their problem was curable, immigrants were

sent to the island's hospital. If it was not, the steamship company that brought them would have to pay to send them back.

                                                                                                                   

TOUR OF ELLIS ISLAND: The Great Hall

The Great Hall was the large waiting room. Immigrants

waited here for their interviews with legal

inspectors after finishing their

medical exams. At best, the entire

process through Ellis Island took 3-5 hours but could take

days or months.

                                                                                                                   

                                                                          

          

TOUR OF ELLIS ISLAND:

Money Exchange After being

cleared from the Great Hall and had completed

their interviews, immigrants

could go to the money

exchange.

TOUR OF ELLIS ISLAND: Journey’s End

Just beyond the money

exchange was the exit from Ellis Island. 2/3 of

the new Americans then boarded a ferry to New Jersey & the remaining

1/3 took the ferryboat to Manhattan to begin their

new life in New York City, only one mile away.

Immigrants came to America with grand visions of what life was going to be..

• No more poverty!

• Lots of jobs!

• No class system!

• Land of opportunity!

But in reality, life was not so grand for the American

immigrant…

Immigrants faced…. Life in the slums

– Poverty, overcrowding, & neglected neighborhoods

– Dark, pollution- filled air

– Open sewers which attracted rats and disease

                   

        

And also…. Prejudice, racism, &

discrimination against their ethnic

backgrounds

– Were unable to get jobs in some areas

– White Americans often confronted immigrants with violence

Immigrant families often made homes in ethnic ghettos….Neighborhoods that were divided by ethnic groups

where people shared culture (and often provided protection

from white Americans)

Results of Immigrant Urbanization• Political divisions because of social

needs (different groups fighting for power)

• The rise of “Political Machines” and “Bosses”– Unofficial organizations designed to keep a

certain political group in power– Buying votes, intimidating immigrants,

trading jobs or housing for votes, etc.

The Impact of Immigration in America….

What would “America”

be without it??

Resources

• America Pathways to the Present, Prentice Hall. 1998 Edition

• Ellis Island Home page

http://www.ellisisland.com/

• Scholastics Teacher page http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/index.htm