Ellis Island

Early History

Although New York City, one of the nation's most significant ports, had long been a major destination for immigrants entering the United States, Ellis Island did not become an immigrant processing center until 1892. Originally a three-acre atoll named Kioshk (an indigenous term meaning Gull Island) by local Native Americans, Dutch colonialists acquired this territory with their purchase of New Amsterdam During the colonial era, Dutch and English settlers nicknamed it Little Oyster Island because New York Harbor sat on 350 oyster beds. The island switched possession among owners numerous times until Samuel Ellis, for whom the island is now named, acquired it during the late 18th century. New York State purchased the island from Samuel Ellis in 1808 and subsequently sold the land to the federal government, which converted the island into a fort in anticipation of a British attack on New York City. Following the War of 1812, Ellis Island served primarily as a military post until its conversion into an immigration station in 1890.

Until the late 1880s, immigration policies were regulated separately by each state. Legislative changes during the late 19th century federalized immigration policy, placing it under the sole authority of the federal government. As part of this overhaul, the federal government established immigrant processing stations at various points of entry to screen the would-be migrants and exclude certain immigrants from admission to the United States. In 1890, the U.S. Congress selected Ellis Island as the site of a new immigration depot and allocated $75,000 for construction.

Immigration Center: 1892 to 1924

Ellis Island officially opened its doors as an immigration processing station on January 1, 1892. Annie Moore, a 15-year-old girl from Cork County, Ireland, who made the voyage across the Atlantic with her two younger brothers aboard the steamship Nevada, made history as the first immigrant processed at the island. Colonel John Weber, the commissioner of Ellis Island, presented Moore with a $10 gold coin to commemorate the occasion. Today, a bronze statue of Annie Moore is located inside the main building of Ellis Island as a symbol of all immigrants who were processed there, and another statue of Moore is found at her point of departure in Ireland.

Only third-class passengers aboard steamships were required to undergo processing at Ellis Island. Immigration officials processed first- and second-class passengers aboard the ship itself en route to New York. This discrepancy in treatment stemmed from the belief that immigrants who had the means to purchase a higher-priced fare were more affluent and would be less likely to become a [Page 769]public charge on American shores. Conventional wisdom also held that the more affluent immigrants were likely to be properly nourished and less likely to suffer from mental illness or physical ailments. Consequently, they were subject to a less stringent immigration inspection than their third-class counterparts.

...