Ellis island history and tourism, americas best history. Ellis island is a 1983 historical novel by fred mustard stewart. Over 3 million people visit ellis island, the golden door to america, every year. On december 31, 1890 a transition in history occured. Her greatgreatgrandmother entered america through ellis island. Students were grouped in 23 students and they read. As the immigrants people from other countries arrived in new york harbor, they caught sight of the statue of liberty for the first time. This book, written at the level of the elementary school child, gives a simple, effective demonstration of what happened on that island. New york city would start a new era in the history of the united states starting with the opening of ellis island as an immigration depo. Ellis island has become an invaluable resource center on immigration and genealogy as well as a national tourist attraction, widely praised for its excellent displays and informative exhibits. Nov 12, 2010 ellis island history peppers the pages of books that describe the people that make up the melting pot of culture that is america.
Ellis island and the statue of liberty are famous landmarks in u. The hospital is part of the statue of liberty national monument. The research library ellis island part of statue of liberty. On average, the inspection process took approximately 37 hours. He heads for hamburg, germany, hoping that he can sail to america. The book is set up as a series of quotes of actual immigrants who came to america during ellis island s busiest period, as well as quotes by people who were employed there at the time. Doctors lifted a persons eyelid to look for the disease. For the vast majority of immigrants, ellis island truly was an island of hope the first stop on their way to new opportunities and. Warmly human and extremely movinga welcome addition to the ellis island literature. More than a third of all americans can trace their family history back to ellis island. This collection consists of about 2,000 audio recordings of interviews with ellis island immigrants and former government personnel that have been made from 1973 to. Ellis island is a federally owned island in new york harbor that was the united states busiest immigrant inspection station. Louise peacock, who has always been interested in history, took a phd in medieval studies before turning to childrens liturature. From 1892 to 1954, over twelve million immigrants entered the united states through the portal of ellis island, a small island in new york.
Take a tour of the immigration center at ellis island after your ferry ride in new york harbor. One of the first things that people saw on arrival on ellis island was the statue of liberty, which had stood in the harbor since 1886. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. History of ellis island and the statue of liberty liberty cruise. Now, the best of the ellis island museum is available to readers everywhere from the ellis. Her first book, crossing the delaware, was inspired by a trip with her son to washingtons crossing. A history in many voices other book format common by author louise peacock, illustrated by walter lyon krudop on. Cannatos thesis is that the history of ellis island as an immigration inspection station parallels the history. Today the small island stands alongside plymouth rock in our nations founding mythology as the place where many of our ancestors first touched american soil. After they left the ship and entered the inspection station at ellis island, they had to walk up a steep stairway, past doctors who stared at each of them and occasionally wrote something in chalk on their coats. American passage offers a comprehensive history of ellis island from the 1890s to today. Feel free to jump forward to specific sections, by clicking on a section title in the table of contents below. Fiction the experiences of people coming to the united states are conveyed by a contemporary young girl visiting ellis island and a girl who immigrated in about 1910, as well as by quotes from early twentiethcentury immigrants and ellis island.
It became part of statue of liberty national monument in 1965. At landing on ellis island, people were taken to the large immigration station for health checks. From 1892 1954 millions of immigrants from all over the world passed through ellis island. Aug 15, 2018 the pictures in the book are paintings based on original photographs of immigrants and ellis island. Allow students to experience passing through ellis island and angel island, as immigrants entering into new lives in america. From 1892 to 1954, approximately 12 million immigrants arriving at the port of new york and new jersey were processed there under federal law. Discover librarianselected research resources on ellis island from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals. Cannato the remarkable saga of americas landmark port of entry, from immigration post to deportation center to mythical icon. See more ideas about books, ellis island and america. The below text details the actual origin of the island as a location for an immigration hub, all the way to its current status as a national monument. American history series allows readers to experience the earliest moments in american history and to discover how these moments helped shape the country that it is today.
Ellis island was the gateway to america and the promise of freedom for thousands. Ellis island opened the gates to millions as the home of the ellis island immigration stationand millions of passenger arrival records for u. The immigration station saw its peak years from 1900 to 1914, when 5,000 to 10,000 people were processed every day. Ellis island history peppers the pages of books that describe the people that make up the melting pot of culture that is america. Sera is an armenian 10yearold sent to america to live with her father. The voices of real immigrants their suffering in steerage, their first glimpse of the statue of liberty, and their journey through the great hall complete this touching look into an important part of americas history. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about ellis island like never before, in no time at all. Jane addams, twenty years at hullhouse half autobiography, half social history, twenty years at hullhouse is the classic firstperson account of jane addams long quest for the uplift of chicagos beleaguered workingclass immigrant communities. Ellis island and the peopling of america the new press. Nov 7, 2018 books and other media to help children learn about and understand immigration to america. After the medical inspection there was a legal inspection. The statue of liberty, located on liberty island, is a symbol of freedom. May 08, 2018 from 1892 to 1924, ellis island was americas largest and most active immigration station, where over 12 million immigrants were processed. Ellis island great hall facts for kids dk find out.
The history and heritage of the statue of liberty and ellis island, and the story of the immigrants who stepped onto these shores and built the united states of america. List of books and articles about ellis island online research. Ellis island is a book containing facts about immigrants arriving to the united states. While the monument is managed by the national park service as part of the national parks of new york harbor office, the south side of ellis. Makes a great vacation for not only the heritage tourist, but any student or american with pride in america. These books are some of the best on ellis island, and will help you in your genealogy pursuits. May 31, 2019 listen to ellis island and angel island. Arriving at ellis island ellis island history dk find out. Cannato the remarkable saga of americas landmark port of entry, from immigration post to. Expanded ellis island immigrant records 18201957 online. Blk africa african african black alaskan alaskan indian albanian algerian alsace lorraine alsatian american indian arabian argentinian armenian asian asiatic assyrian australian austrian aztec bahamian barbadian basque belgian belgium bermudian bessarabian black boer bohemian bolivian bosnian brazilian.
Cannato has written an extremely readable and enjoyable book on the history of ellis island. For the vast majority of immigrants, ellis island truly was an island of hope the first. Translated from the french by harry mathews georges perec, employing prose meditations, lists, and inventories of countries of origin, of what the immigrants carried, conjures up in ellis island the sixteen million people who, between 1890 and 1954, arrived as foreigners and stayed on to become americans. More than 30 people took the ferry from battery park across new york harbor to ellis island to learn more about the site and its importance to the history of public.
In that capacity, ellis island is a companion symbol to the statue of liberty, in that it was the second place that most immigrants related to. For books about, centered around andor featuring ellis island. Any reader interested in the settlement house movement or, more broadly, in the history of american. This huge sculpture has stood in new york harbor since 1886. See immigrant kids to compare some of the pictures.
It lies about 1 mile southwest of manhattan island, new york city, and about 1,300 feet east of the new jersey shore. They are i read this one out loud to my 8 12 year old daughter, at her request. On arrival at ellis island, people were taken to a huge room to register, called the great hall. This included a check for an eye disease called trachoma. There are, as well, a number of books about the history of ellis island and about the history of immigrants and public health. It places ellis island within the context of the worldwide history of immigration, and as a continuing social process. This book allows readers to explore the history of the island and what it means to so many. As the main entry point for immigrants into the united states until 1954, many north americans can trace their ancestry through ellis island. A fall of marigolds by susan meissner, american passage. At ellis island continues this unique method of historical exploration. Ellis island is a historical site that opened in 1892 as an immigration station, a purpose it served for more than 60 years until it closed in 1954. Governmentcontrolled since 1808, it was long the site of an arsenal and a fort, but most famously served 18921954 as the chief immigration station of the united states.
Today, it is part of the statue of liberty national monument, accessible to the public only by ferry. By bringing us the inspiring and sometimes unsettling tales of ellis island, vincent cannatos american passage helps us underst. For most of new yorks early history, ellis island had been an obscure little island that barely held itself above high tide. The pictures in the book are paintings based on original photographs of immigrants and ellis island. On this page you will find a detailed history of ellis island. In this book, you will find information on where the immigrants that landed on ellis island came from, why they wanted to come to the united states, and how it was decided if they could stay in the united states or have to go back home. The research library contains books, unpublished manuscripts, periodicals, oral history interviews, photographs, video, poetry and research files relating to the statue of liberty, ellis island, immigration history and the national park service.
List of books and articles about ellis island online. Ellis island, island in upper new york bay, formerly 18921924 the united states principal immigration reception center. The history and legacy of americas most famous immigration gateway 97815427362. In this book, you will find information on where the immigrants that landed on ellis island came from, why they wanted to come to the united states, and how it was decided if they. In their hopes of staring new lives and setting out afresh, people the world over made trans atlantic voyages, and entered the united states, to pursue the now famous american dream. If your name was changed at ellis island jestresss. The history and legacy of americas most famous immigration stations audiobook by charles river editors. Ellis island facts ellis island for kids dk find out. The history and legacy of americas most famous immigration gateway analyzes the history of ellis island and its integral impact on american history. Ellis island and angel island immigration, 18921910. This information is important because it shows you how big of a role ellis island played in u. S citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors of ellis island. From 1892 to 1924, ellis island was americas largest and most active immigration station, where over 12 million immigrants were processed. Ellis island for kids historical fiction and memoirs the logonauts.
Aug, 2018 ellis island and the statue of liberty are famous landmarks in u. Jul 10, 2015 the private support group save ellis island offers hardhat tours of the hospital complex, which is adjacent to the main reception center operated by the national park service. The book also contains some further information about the lives of immigrants once they arrived in america immigrant kids goes into a lot more detail, the attitudes of americans toward immigrants at the time varied but with strong. Learn why immigrants came to the united states and the establishment of ellis island immigration station. A year after its publication a miniseries was filmed in the united kingdom, based on this book. In 1907 jacob rubinstein, a russian jew, leaves his village after it is attacked by cossacks. I used this book in my fourth grade classroom as an event in us history that impacted change in america. Ellis island wasnt always the famous immigration station or popular museum that its so well known as. It is a both a story of political corruption on the part of some who preyed on these arrivals, as well a story of hope and new beginnings. As penn science historian david barnes wrote recently in this space, the lazaretto in philadelphia played a key role early in this countrys early history.
Ellis island by fred mustard stewart and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Search free ellis island archives and records familysearch. Bibliography ellis island part of statue of liberty. The author also evokes the islands ghostly atmosphere after it was abandoned in 1954 and the determined efforts that led to its triumphant 1990 reopening as a museum, visited by 2 million people each year. Familysearch and the statue of libertyellis island foundation, inc. It was the gateway to america for millions of immigrants people from other countries. After they left the ship and entered the inspection station at ellis island, they had to walk up a steep stairway, past doctors who stared at each of them and occasionally wrote something in. Immigrants of various ethnic backgrounds recall their extraordinary adventures, historians explore the sometimes insensitive national policies, and the ellis island oral history project reveals what the immigration experience was actually like. Ellis island opened in 1892 as an immigration station where millions of newly arrived immigrants to the united states entered the country. With engaging pictures and text, this nonfiction narrative provides a history of this important post, how immigrants were processed, other ways the buildings were used, and how it became an important monument and museum. Ellis island, in upper new york bay, was the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the united states as the nations busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. It can prepare one to visit the ellis island immigration museum, guide one in the process of doing a family genealogy, or direct one to many more sources for immigration study.