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After dutch settlers have found many oyster beds near the future ellis island they all determined to name the Island “Oyster Island” -
Throughout the 1760s the previous Oyster Island is not known as Gibbit Island as a result of the island gibbet, or gallows tree, that’s purpose was to hang men that were convicter of piracy. -
France entered the American Revolution on the side of the colonists in 1778, turning what had essentially been a civil war into an international conflict. After French assistance helped the Continental Army force the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, the Americans had effectively won their independence, though fighting did not formally end until 1783. -
The man Samuel Ellis, placed at 1 Greenwich Street in Manhattan, invests in the island and constructs a tavern on the island. Ellis exhibits the island for sale in “London's New York Packet” Samuel failed to sell the island. -
A gigantic stone fort was built on the island in 1807, and the island was renamed Fort Wood in honor of an American Army Engineer who unfortunately passed during the siege of Fort Erie on the Canadian Front war of 1812 -
The United states takes over ownership of Ellis Island by condemnation procedures carried out by Daniel D. Tompkins. The Governor. He purchased the Island on behalf of the state of New York from John A. Berry's Family, and they conveyed for 10,000$ to the Federal Government. -
The Governor of New York, Governor Tompkins, takes responsibility at ellis island and name it Fort Gibson, It was named in memory of Colonel James GIbson who had been fatally hurt during the battle of fort Erie. -
THe State of New York Commision of Immigrants requested permission to use the war department on Ellis Island for the convalescence of immigrants. THeir request was denied. -
Whilst the Civil war was happening between the United States and the Confederacy, Ellis Island was used as a site to store ammunition for the union army. -
This postcard shows the White Star liner Majestic, which was considered one of the greatest ships of her day. She was built at the Harlan and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, and was launched in 1889. At one time, Majestic was the longest ship afloat. She sailed between Liverpool and New York (with stops at Queens town, Ireland) until 1911. -
The federal government authorizes the bureau of immigration and selects Ellis Island as the site for construction for a new immigration site for the port of New York -
https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/oral-history-library
Here is a site where you can listen to many different immigrants perspectives and what it was like to travel through Ellis island. This website also has perspective from families who had to stay where they lived whilst their family members traveled. -
The Federal government to construct a new immigration station on Ellis Island.The new structure on Ellis Island began receiving arriving immigrants on January 1, 1892 https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/oral-history-library
Here is a site where you can listen to many different immigrants perspectives and what it was like to travel through ellis isalnd. This website also has perspective from families who had to stay where they lived whilst their family member traveled -
Harvey E. Snider was born in Butler County, Ohio in 1870. In 1894, he came to New York in search of work; with him were his wife Emma Jane and their small children. Snider was soon hired as a gatekeeper at Ellis Island. For the next seven years, he worked as a watchman and guard and helped out in other ways too, including occasionally carrying immigrants' bags. In 1902, he got an office job as a clerk at $1,000 a year. -
During the early morning hours of June 15, 1897, a fire on Ellis Island burned the immigration station completely to the ground. Although no lives were lost, Federal and State immigration records dating back to 1855 burned, along with the pine buildings that failed to protect them. -
The U.S. Treasury ordered the buildings to be built again, although if the future buildings did not meet the requirements it would not be allowed, one of the main factors was that it was required to be fireproof. On December 17th, 1900 Ellis Island was reopened and 2,251 immigrants were received. -
This is their first full year running with the new facility and they handle 389,000 immigrants throughout the year. -
In the early 1900s Immigration officers believed that the peak wave of immigration was done, but to their surprise, it was on the rise, 1907 was the busiest year with approximately 1.25 immigrants having passed through during 1907. -
As the United Stares enters the first world war with France and Great Britain as their allies. One of the main Navy Way Station was Ellis Island, it was used for many purposes such as, a place that held supplies that ships could come and pick up, a place where wounded soldiers would come and they would help them and a detention center for people on the opposing forces. -
Ever since the beginning of the mass migration period, a group of politicians and nativists have imposed increased restrictions on immigration. The Chinese Exclusion Act, the ALien contract Labor Law, Quota Laws, and the National Origins Act Laws were among the regulations meant to limit who could enter, bases on the number of ethnic groups that were already living here. It resulted in Ellis Island experiencing a rapid decrease in usage beginning in the early 1920s. -
Ellis Islands Registry Room was used as a day quarters for enemy aliens who, by the year 1942 numbered over 1,000. Living space was created for detainees in 1943 when all of Ellis Islands administrative workers had moved to one of the Manhattan Offices. Although the Registry Room was not used as a medical ward, as it had been during World War I, wounded U.S. veterans of World War II were treated in the hospital complex. -
On November 12, 19544, Ellis Island, shuts the doors whilst overflowing with immigrants, after prossecing more than 12 million people, since opening in 1892 -
President Lyndon Johnson, invoking the Antiquities Act of 1906, proclaims Ellis Island as a part of Statue of Liberty National Monument; changing control to the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. -
Around 1974, the original paper which customs manifests to the Temple University- Balch Institute Center for Immigration Research were transferred. This was because the new immigration service was without inspectors at all U.S. ports. -
During 1976 Ellis Island opened to the public and now you can take a tour of the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration which is in the restored Main Arrivals hall and retrace their ancestors footsteps. -
During 1976 Ellis Island opened to the public and now you can take a tour of the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration which is in the restored Main Arrivals hall and retrace their ancestors footsteps. -
The process to restore Ellis Island begins. The main building site is dug out and debris is removed. -
Throughout these years, Ellis Island was restored, they tried to keep it as much alike as it used to be changing as little as possible. -
Ellis Island celebrates the centennial. -
New Jersey v. New York, 523 U.S. 767 (1998), was a U.S. Supreme Court case that determined that roughly 83% of Ellis Island was part of New Jersey, rather than New York State. -
The American Family Immigration History Center (AFIHC) opens at Ellis Island.