Ellis Island Essay

1700’s

Over twelve million immigrants entered the United States from 1892 to 1954 through Ellis Island, a small island in New York Harbor. Ellis Island is located right off of the New Jersey coast in the upper bay near the Statue of Liberty. Over the years the islands sized enlarged from its original 3.3 acres to 27.5 acres from landfill obtained from ship ballast and the construction of the New York City subway system.

Before Ellis Island was used for immigrants to enter the United States from all around the world the local Indian tribes called the island “Kioshk” or Gull Island because of its rich and abundant oyster beds and profitable shad runs. Ellis Island was known as oyster land by many generation during the Dutch and English colonial

For example, when the British settled New York City during the majority of the Revolutionary, their large and powerful naval fleet, a large formation of warships, was able to sail right into the New York Harbor.

Therefore, it was determined by the United States Government that a series of coastal defensive walls and other buildings were constructed in the New York Harbor before the War of 1812. After much negotiation the Federal government bought Ellis Island from New York State in 1808.

The island was agreed to as the site for fortification and on Ellis ISland was constructed a low protective wall for three circular guns which made the island part of the new harbor defense system. This included: Castle Clinton at the Battery, Castle Williams on Governor’s Island, Fort Wood on Bedloe’s ISland and two entrances to the New York Harbor at the Verrazano Narrows. Since a brave officer was killed during the War of 1812 the fort at Ellis Island was named Fort Gibson in honor of

Throughout the 1800’s many restrictive religious laws and economic conditions wore away and started to fuel the largest human migration in history of the world.

Soon it became supposed that Castle Garden was not prepared for the immigrants arriving every year. The Castle Garden started to be way too small for the immigrants and many problems erupted with it be as small as it was.

The Federal Government constructed a new Federally-operated immigration station on Ellis Island. When the new immigration station on Ellis Island was under construction they used the Barge Office at the Battery was used for the processing of immigrants.

Construction of the new structure on Ellis Island finished on January 1, 1892. Annie Moure was a teenage Irish girl who was the first immigrant to proceed at Ellis Island. After 62 years more than 12 million people were to follow through this port of entry.