Nearly 5 million people will arrive from northern and western Europe over the next 45 years. Castle Garden, one of the first state-run immigration depots, opens at the Battery in lower Manhattan in The Potato Famine that strikes Ireland leads to the immigration of over 1 million Irish alone in the next decade. Concurrently, large numbers of Germans flee political and economic unrest.
Rapid settlement of the West begins with the passing of the Homestead Act in Attracted by the opportunity to own land, more Europeans begin to immigrate. Beginning in , the United States forbids prostitutes and criminals from entering the country.
The Chinese Exclusion Act is passed in Seven hundred immigrants passed through Ellis Island that day, and nearly , followed over the course of that first year. Over the next five decades, more than 12 million people will pass through the island on their way into the United States.
Though no one is killed, all Ellis Island records dating back to and the Castle Garden era are destroyed. The new fireproof facility is officially opened in December , and 2, people pass through on opening day. To prevent a similar situation from occurring again, President Theodore Roosevelt appoints a new commissioner of immigration, William Williams, who cleans house on Ellis Island beginning in by overhauling operations and facilities. To eliminate corruption and abuse, Williams awards contracts based on merit and announces contracts will be revoked if any dishonesty is suspected.
Island Two houses the hospital administration and psychiatric ward, while Island Three holds the contagious diseases ward. By , Ellis Island has grown to more than 27 acres, from an original size of only three acres. Anarchists are denied admittance into the United States as of On April 17, , an all-time daily high of 11, immigrants received is reached; that year, Ellis Island experiences its highest number of immigrants received in a single year, with 1,, arrivals.
A federal law is passed excluding persons with physical and mental disabilities, as well as children arriving without adults. Anti-immigrant sentiment increases after the U.
Starting in , Ellis Island operates as a hospital for the U. Army, a way station for Navy personnel and a detention center for enemy aliens. By , the Army takes over most of Ellis Island and creates a makeshift way station to treat sick and wounded American servicemen.
The literacy test is introduced at this time, and stays on the books until Those over the age of 16 who cannot read 30 to 40 test words in their native language are no longer admitted through Ellis Island. Nearly all Asian immigrants are banned.
Ellis Island is used to intern immigrant radicals accused of subversive activity; many of them are deported. Harding signs the Emergency Quota Act into law in According to the new law, annual immigration from any country cannot exceed 3 percent of the total number of U. Census of The Immigration Act of goes even further, setting strict quotas for immigrants based on country of origin, including an annual limit of , immigrants from outside the Western Hemisphere.
The buildings on Ellis Island begin to fall into neglect and abandonment. While ship manifests were burned for entries prior to June , Customs Lists remain. These records were kept safe in the U. Customs Office. Search here! The inspections took place in the Registry Room Great Hall where doctors would briefly scan every individual for obvious physical ailments.
This document was used by the legal inspectors at Ellis Island to cross-examine during the legal inspection. Contrary to popular belief, interpreters of all major languages were employed at Ellis Island, making the process efficient and ensuring that records were accurate. Only two percent of the arriving immigrants were excluded from entry. The two main reasons for exclusion were a doctor diagnosing an immigrant with a contagious disease that could endanger the public health, or a legal inspector was concerned an immigrant would likely become a public charge or an illegal contract laborer.
In the early s U. To their surprise, immigration was on the rise. In fact, marked the busiest year at Ellis Island with approximately 1. From the very beginning of the mass migration period that spanned to , a relentless group of politicians and nativists demanded increased restrictions on immigration.
As a result, Ellis Island experienced a rapid decline in usage beginning in the early s. After World War I, U. The necessary paperwork and medical inspections were completed at the consulate, quickly replacing the Ellis Island inspection process. After , the only passengers brought to Ellis Island were those who had problems with their paperwork, as well as war refugees and displaced persons needing assistance.
The following information will help you plan your visit:. Despite the icon, it is only accessible by private ferry. Operating Hours and Seasons. Hours change seasonally. Fees and Passes. There is no entrance fee. However, both islands are only accessible via ferry company Statue City Cruises. Explore the History. The immigrant experience comes to life in this fascinating, world class museum. Walk the halls of the former processing station to discover the trials and triumphs of the people who passed through the Golden Door.
Tour the Museum. Find out where you fit in the continuum of American immigration. Start Your Search. How We Help. What's on the Horizon. Experience History. Statue Cruises operates the ferry service. Visitors should note that Statue Cruises is the only authorized concessionaire permitted to sell tickets and provide ferry access to Liberty and Ellis Islands.
As such, visitors should avoid street vendors peddling tickets in and around Battery Park. It is not. Visitors can tour the Main Building of the former immigration complex, which is now home to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.
The database is also available online.
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