Immigration to the United States: Ellis Island

Presents information on immigration procedure in the U.S. during 1877-1900.

The article discusses the history of immigration to the U.S. and the federal immigration station on Ellis Island, located between New Jersey and New York.

From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island was the major U.S. point of entry for immigrants coming to America across the Atlantic Ocean. Ellis Island is located near the shores of New York and New Jersey .

This article focuses on Ellis Island, a 27.5-acre sandy island in New York harbor, which is visited each year by nearly two million people, not for its natural beauty but for its place in the history of the United States.

An Ellis Islancj portraitist dignifies the transition
from huddled masses to U.S. citizens.

Gives information on Ellis Island's immigration processing center in New York harbor. Number of immigrants processed there; Chances an American's ancestors came through Ellis Island; Portion of Ellis Island immigrants who initially settled in New York City; Top countries of origin for immigrants; More.

This page offers links and information about the History of Ellis Island and immigration in America.

Welcome to Ellis Island! More than 12 million immigrants made their first stop in America at the Ellis Island Immigration Station between 1892 and 1954. In fact, more than 40 percent of Americans can trace their family history back to Ellis Island.

Look for your family here at the passenger search supplied by the Ellis Island Foundation.

How far would you travel to find a better life? What if the journey took weeks under difficult conditions? If you answered "Whatever it takes," you echo the feelings of the 12 million+ immigrants who passed through “America's Golden Door” from 1892 to 1954.

Selected images from Ellis Island from 1880 - 1920.

Ellis Island's history journeys much farther back than most think; back before opening of Ellis's immigration screening station, and even before the first documented immigrants entered the country. In the 1600's, Ellis Island, at the time known as Gull Island by the Mohegan tribe, was a mere two to three acres. During high tide, the island could scarcely been seen above the rising waters.