For my birthday the husband took me to the Untapped cities hard hat tour at Ellis Island. It was a long day, where we had to first take 3 trains to downtown Manhattan, wait in the reserved line, go through "airport security" at the ferry terminal, take the 40 minute ferry ride, then take the 90 minute tour outside on a cold December day. But it was worth it. We learned so much from our tour guide, Tori. She also at the end, helped us catch the 3:45 ferry. We ran and made it with 30 seconds to spare! Everything worked out and we also saw the Statue of Liberty! Samuel Ellis purchase the island in 1774 but it has gone through many hands until 1892 where the island formally opens to immigrants. Annie Moore of Ireland was the first alien to be processed. In 1907, 1.2 million aliens are examined on Ellis Island creating a peak year of immigration. But in 1924, the National Origins Act passed. Immigrants are now required to obtain visas in American consulates before embarking for America. Country of Origin quota limits reduced the amount of immigrants that could enter into the United States. As a consequence, immigration to the United States was dramatically reduced. From NPR. The hospital closes in 1951 and in 1954 the island is vacated. But in the 1982, Ronald Reagan announces a plan to restore Ellis Island which costs about 156 million. Of course it is still on going, and I hope it gets fully restored so people can enjoy the rich history of Ellis Island. There is so much history, and I can't write all of it on my blog, but it was such a fascinating place to visit and learn about immigration, public health, and the hospital in which it served the tired, brave people that had to get processed here.
0 Comments
|
My short blog topics include: photography, music, science, crafts, vacation photos, movies, events in NYC, and of course stop motion animation.
My Blog
|