Notes

most of the immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island were from eastern and southern Europe. In many cases, they came to escape the poverty and religious intolerance that existed in small towns in countries such as Italy, Poland, and Russia.
They began their journey to America on foot, horseback, or train. Many trekked hundreds of miles across Europe to get to a seaport. When they arrived at the coast, they boarded a steamship.
The trip across the Atlantic Ocean lasted one to two weeks. The ships divided passengers by wealth and class. First- and second-class passengers stayed in staterooms and cabins. But most people were in third class, called "steerage." Steerage was a large, open space at the bottom of the ship.
As many as 3,000 people crowded the ships. They often came from different countries, spoke different languages, and belonged to different religions.trip across the Atlantic Ocean was rough. The ships were crowded and dirty. So most passengers were very tired when they arrived in New York Harbor. One of the first things they saw was the Statue of Liberty, which has stood on its own island in the harbor since 1886. People would cheer when they spotted this famous symbol of America. Some would weep with joy as the ship passed by it.
Health officers would board the ship in the harbor and look for signs of diseases. If the ship passed their inspection, doctors then would check the health of first- and second-class passengers on the ship. These lucky few were processed quickly and could leave the ship when it docked at New York City.
But third-class passengers often would wait for hours or days until a smaller ferryboat took them to Ellis Island for immigration officers wearing uniforms greeted the ferryboat as it docked at Ellis Island. They shouted and motioned to the passengers to walk down the gangplank to the main building. The officers passed out numbered identity tags. The people who did not speak English were often unsure what the officers were saying. The commotion was overwhelming. Men, women, and children struggled off the boat carrying trunks, cloth sacks, and suitcases. They followed one another along a path and entered the imposing red brick building.
Wearing their numbered tags, the immigrants entered the Baggage Room on the building's ground floor. They left their precious belongings here until their inspection was done. Next, the immigrants went up stairs to the Registry Room. That is where the medical and legal inspections took place.e immigration process began on the winding stairs that led to the Registry Room. Doctors stood on the second floor and watched each person. They looked for people who had trouble walking or breathing or showed signs of other health problems.e Registry Room was nicknamed the Great Hall because it is so big. The large rectangular room is 200 feet long and 102 feet wide. Many immigrants had never seen such a large indoor space.
The waiting area in the Great Hall had long metal rails that helped maintain an orderly line as people went through the medical and legal inspections. Wooden benches were added in 1903. The noise in this room could be intense. The sounds of thousands of voices bounced off the vaulted ceilings.
Officials in the Great Hall decided whether each person could enter the country right away or whether that person's case required further review.
From 1903 to 1914, immigrants were checked for trachoma, a contagious eye disease. Doctors used a tool called a buttonhook to lift a person's eyelid to look for the disease. The buttonhook was a well-known and feared part of the immigration process. People with trachoma were often sent back to their home countries.