ellis island
Gracyn .M
The History of Ellis Island
In the late 1800's an immigration station called Elis Island was opened. This immigration station was an island, named after the Manhattan merchant Samuel Ellis in 1892. Between 1892 and 1924 more than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island. Most people were able to pass but the ill or disabled were turned away.
In 1924, Congress passed a law that made it more difficult for immigrants to come to the U.S., so Ellis Island was no longer as important. Then in 1943, the immigration reception was moved to New York City proper and Ellis Island served as a detention place for immigrants having immigration issues. Finally in 1954 the immigration office on Ellis Island was closed. In 1965 it became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and in 1976 it was reopened for tourists. Now, the Main Building is the site of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum after the buildings were restored in the 1980's.
The Statue of Liberty
Liberty Enlightening the World is a giant statue that is the symbol of the United States and freedom. It is on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. During the American Revolution, the United States and France worked together and the people of France wanted to commemorate this. The statue is one of the largest ones ever built and about 2 million visitors go each year. The statue was built starting in the mid-1870's and was dedicated on October 28, 1886.