Ellis Island Immigration
Ellis island was the place to be, after the civil war the government decided to replace the New York immigration station in the early 1890's. They increased the size of Ellis Island by doubling it to six acres. A ton of people came through Ellis Island to immigrate. As the 1890's went on more and more people came and soon more than 12 million people each year were passing through Ellis Island. Studies show that up to 20% of people are not let through Ellis Island. People could not be let through for a multiple of reasons. Some people weren't allowed through because of sickness and they were held on Ellis Island until they died.
Laws were passed making it harder for more people to get through Ellis Island. In 1875 the US forbid prostitutes and criminals from entering the country. The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed which restricted "lunatics" and "idiots." In 1897 a fire broke out in the immigration building on Ellis Island. They of course rebuilt it, and had more than 2000 people on their opening day. To keep another fire from happening President Theodore Roosevelt hires a new commissioner, William Williams. President Roosevelt awards contracts based on merit, and he says if contracts will be taken away if someone is dishonest. Penalties will be given if any rule is violated, he posts "Kindness and Considerations" signs as reminders.
There was a pole on Ellis Island called the Kissing post. This was the spot that families already in the US greeted newcomers. But this is also the spot where ,if a family member had to be left behind because they weren't allowed through, they would say goodbye to each other. Both of these situations had major tears and hugs going on. Some people saved up there whole lives to afford a ticket to the island.
Ellis Island is mostly a good thing. It let more people into the US, so we got a greater population, it made the US more diverse, and it spread other cutlers around America. It also helped families that were in need, it gave people a place to go to get away from sickness and poor economy. But Ellis Island could also be viewed as having some bad effects. Some might say Ellis Island brought more people into the US so now Americans don't have as good of job opportunities, or if America becomes more diverse then other countries might view us as weaker and try to capture us. Either good or bad then, I believe it had a good outcome on the present. If Ellis Island wasn't opened people would have a limited way of coming to the US. We wouldn't have as many people or diversity. Our immigration laws would be different now too, I don't they would be as advanced.
Referring to this comic though, this comic is trying to show us how it was hard to actually get into and get through Ellis Island. The sign next to the immigrant says "America The Land of Opportunity, Prosperity, Freedom." The person at the door, I'm assuming an American official, is saying "Sorry, we have filled our immigrant quota. Try next year." So basically the sign and the man are contradicting each other. Because if America is the land of opportunity and they aren't letting the immigrant in then he has no opportunity. If America is the land of prosperity the immigrant has no where to prosper. And the immigrant is obviously not free because he cant even be free to get in to America to get freedom. Ellis Island came off as welcoming everybody and wanting everyone to immigrate, but yet there is barbed wire on the top of the wall, and a heavy armored door to get in.
Ellis Island - Boundless Open Textbook. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2014
Ellis Island. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2014.
Laws were passed making it harder for more people to get through Ellis Island. In 1875 the US forbid prostitutes and criminals from entering the country. The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed which restricted "lunatics" and "idiots." In 1897 a fire broke out in the immigration building on Ellis Island. They of course rebuilt it, and had more than 2000 people on their opening day. To keep another fire from happening President Theodore Roosevelt hires a new commissioner, William Williams. President Roosevelt awards contracts based on merit, and he says if contracts will be taken away if someone is dishonest. Penalties will be given if any rule is violated, he posts "Kindness and Considerations" signs as reminders.
There was a pole on Ellis Island called the Kissing post. This was the spot that families already in the US greeted newcomers. But this is also the spot where ,if a family member had to be left behind because they weren't allowed through, they would say goodbye to each other. Both of these situations had major tears and hugs going on. Some people saved up there whole lives to afford a ticket to the island.
Ellis Island is mostly a good thing. It let more people into the US, so we got a greater population, it made the US more diverse, and it spread other cutlers around America. It also helped families that were in need, it gave people a place to go to get away from sickness and poor economy. But Ellis Island could also be viewed as having some bad effects. Some might say Ellis Island brought more people into the US so now Americans don't have as good of job opportunities, or if America becomes more diverse then other countries might view us as weaker and try to capture us. Either good or bad then, I believe it had a good outcome on the present. If Ellis Island wasn't opened people would have a limited way of coming to the US. We wouldn't have as many people or diversity. Our immigration laws would be different now too, I don't they would be as advanced.
Referring to this comic though, this comic is trying to show us how it was hard to actually get into and get through Ellis Island. The sign next to the immigrant says "America The Land of Opportunity, Prosperity, Freedom." The person at the door, I'm assuming an American official, is saying "Sorry, we have filled our immigrant quota. Try next year." So basically the sign and the man are contradicting each other. Because if America is the land of opportunity and they aren't letting the immigrant in then he has no opportunity. If America is the land of prosperity the immigrant has no where to prosper. And the immigrant is obviously not free because he cant even be free to get in to America to get freedom. Ellis Island came off as welcoming everybody and wanting everyone to immigrate, but yet there is barbed wire on the top of the wall, and a heavy armored door to get in.
Ellis Island - Boundless Open Textbook. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2014
Ellis Island. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2014.