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Immigration and Ellis Island

The greatest mass movement of people in History ocurred between 1870 and 1910.  During that time, more than twenty million people emmigrated from europe to the united states.  People left their homelands for many reasons Historians call these reasons "pushes".  Pushes include natural dissasters crop failures war persecution and poverty.  A push might also be the urge for adventure or the desire for change.  People who emigrate go to places where they think they will have a better happier future for themselves and they're families.   Historians call these reasons pulls.

Between 1870 and 1900 about twelve million people arrived in the United States from other countries.  Most came from europe.  Another nine million arrived over the next decade (three fourths as many as during the prevous three decades).  Most immigrants entered the country through new York.  Before they were aloud into the city they had to go threw the immigration center located on ellis island which is in Upper New York Bay.  The statue of liberty in the bay seemed to welcome the passengers.  Not everyone however were truly welcome.  The inspecters at Ellis Island would decide whom could enter the country

Ellis island was named for its original owner a man by the name of samuel ellis he operated a tavvern for local fisherman on the island.  Before that, the sandy peace of land was known to new yorkers as gibbet island a gibbet was a gallows-like structure from which criminals, such as pirates were hanged.  Occasionally in the 1700s, pirates were hanged from trees on the islands shor.  Earlier the island was known by other names.  The dutch collonists who settled in new york around 1630 called the island oyster island because of the nearby oister beds which had been a souce of food for people in the area for many decades.

the federal goverment took over the island in 1892.  From that time until 1954, when the immigration center clozed, twelve million immigrants past through ellis island:  four fifths of all immigrants enter the country.  Thats astonishing.  So, what was the immigrant expereince like.  First, immigrants entered a huge hall and left they're bags.  Then they lined up and filed passed inspectors.  If rejected, they could be sent back to their home countries.  Most however passed through the center within hours.  Ferries ran back and fourth acround the clock, taking the immigrants to manhattan to start their new lives in america.