The answer to the question of where Ellis Island is located is known to any American. This is not surprising, since, according to statistics, almost every resident of the United States has a pedigree of a person who once entered the country through him. Thanks to the Museum of Immigration located here, this piece of sushi is known all over the world.
Name
Ellis Island is located in the middle of the Hudson River in New York City. Nearby is the southern cape of Manhattan. During the Civil War, this piece of land was acquired by Samuel Ellis, who opened a tavern for the local fishermen. The island is named after him.
Military fortress
New York State purchased the land from the owner's heirs in 1808, then immediately sold it to the Federal Government for $10,000. In the future, Ellis Island (USA) was mainly used as a fortress and an arsenal, for which barracks were built here. He played this role for eighty years. Whatever it was, in all this time it was never used to protect the city.
Bastion of immigrants
Beginning in 1814, this place was overtaken by the first massive wave of immigrants. They were not stopped by either horrendous poverty or the difficult conditions of crossing the ocean. People were just looking for a better life. From year to year, the number of immigrants steadily increased, in connection with which, in 1892, the authorities decided to open an immigration center. The main task of its employees was to register arriving people who had to meet a number of requirements related to he alth, financial situation and work experience. The original building burned down in 1897. Some time later, local architects built a larger center with a hospital, canteen and laundry facilities. This was facilitated by the increase in the area of the island from 12 to 14.8 hectares. This fact is due to the fact that during the construction of the subway in New York, dug earth was taken here.
Registering Immigrants
All the settlers who arrived on Ellis Island were waiting for the final decision regarding their future fate in rather difficult conditions. Many of them died without waiting for the results of the test. This is not surprising, because in one stuffy room at the same time there could be several thousand people who were undergoing a medical check. According to statistics, one in five of them were recognized as weak-minded, and many were excluded as potential carriers of tuberculosis.
During the years of operation of the immigration center, a total of more than twelve million people have been checked. Statistically, Ellis Islandan average of 5,000 immigrants arrived daily. For many settlers, this place was the beginning of a dream come true. Along with this, more than 3.5 thousand people (almost half of whom are children) died in a local hospital without becoming US residents.
Museum
The Ellis Island Immigration Museum was inaugurated on September 9, 1990. In it, the local authorities managed to preserve the history of one of the largest periods of resettlement of people. It is the only attraction on this piece of land. However, many Americans consider this tourist site sacred, so there are always a lot of visitors here. Everyone has the opportunity to look at more than two thousand exhibits, including unique photographs, ship logs with lists of settlers, audio recordings with eyewitness memories, and others. Many of the Americans come here in search of traces of their ancestors. Among other things, there is a stone slab on which the names of people who arrived on Ellis Island at different times are inscribed on copper plates. There are 470 such tablets here.
The main idea that the local authorities wanted to convey to all visitors by opening the museum is that any person who works hard and works hard can achieve great success on their own. This is true, since this island, in fact, became the symbolic beginning of the American dream for many migrants.
Interesting facts
According to one of the local legends, the names of many European settlers who arrived at Ellis Island at different times were shortened, mangled or incorrectly recorded by immigration center workers. As a result, it sometimes becomes very difficult for some Americans to find their ancestors in the lists.
Geographically, the island is closer to the state of New Jersey, but belongs to New York. After the artificial increase in the Ellis area, the authorities of the first of the mentioned American administrative regions laid claim to this territory. The Supreme Court, upon the fact of the proceedings in this matter, decided that this piece of land should be simultaneously under the jurisdiction of two states. It is still valid today.
Many people mistakenly confuse this piece of land in the Hudson River because of its similar name to other pieces of land that bear the names of Gilbert and Ellis. These islands are British property and are located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Their total area is 956 square kilometers. They consist of 37 large atolls and islets. The local population does not exceed 56 thousand people. The local economy is based on the extraction of phosphites, as well as the cultivation of the coconut palm and the production of copra. They have nothing to do with the American Ellis Island.
The Museum of Immigration is one of the most popular tourist destinations in New York. It is very easy to visit. Ferries, costfare on which is 17 dollars, depart in his direction every 20 minutes. Moreover, during the trip, travelers can see the Statue of Liberty up close.
