home country, and everything immigrants had just done would be for nothing.

Immigrants are on the ship, and it’s really uncomfortable for them because they barely get fresh air, they don’t get a lot of food and water and seasick passengers get sick and their vomit covers up the whole deck of the ship. It’s also packed with hundreds of immigrants and it left with no space on the steerage deck. It was so packed in steerage that every person there was squished and had almost no space to breathe.  When they were on board, they were looking forward to passing all of the tests to enter America. First and second class passengers always come first out of the ship and then after a few hours, the steerage passengers come out of the ship exhausted. It must have been unfair for steerage passengers to wait so long in the ship and come out late while first and second class passengers always came out first. Immigrants will get angry or frustrated because they had to wait in the ship for so long. It’s hard to wait in a ship for a long time. 

Immigrants were on a boat for one to two weeks. Immigrants had to pack one bag of their things. It must have been hard to choose what they wanted and it all had to go in one. They probably had to do that because there would not be space for all the immigrants to get in the boat. There were a lot of immigrants and a lot from different places who will cross different oceans and different boats like immigrants from Europe will have to cross the  Atlantic Ocean. Immigrants from Asia will cross the Pacific Ocean. On their way to Ellis Island they will get to have a great view of the Statue of liberty. What if you could see that? That will be awesome, but there was more to see on their way to get to Ellis Island.

In 1774 right before the Revolutionary War, an American man named Samuel Ellis bought the little Island and named it after himself. Later on, the US government took over Ellis Island and used it to store gunpowder. In 1890 The US government chose Ellis Island as a new immigration station and two years later it started, Ellis Island was officially open. As waves of immigration came to America, in the early 1900's millions of immigrants passed through Ellis Island. In 1907 Ellis Island hit its peak when 11,747 immigrants passed through Ellis Island in one day. In 1914 World War 1 began and in 1917 America joined the war. At this time immigration stopped because the water was no longer safe. Ellis Island started again when the war ended.

Many people from different countries decided to immigrate to Ellis Island but the trip over was so hard, this

makes me think why people came? People decided to come because of money, work, education, health, and a better future. Immigrants traveled on steam ships. Europe to America - crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Immigrants shopped the cheapest tickets to come to America, so they traveled in steerage. Voyage took about twelve days.

First, the immigrants had to get off the boat, but only 75% of them went to Ellis Island and the other 25% would go right into America. If an immigrant went to Ellis Island, they would go to the baggage room and drop their luggage for a baggage inspection. Then immigrants would go to the registry room and wait in a long line to get an inspection. Next immigrants would go to the medical exam and if they were suspected with a disease, they would be marked with chalk. After that immigrants would take a legal inspection where they had to answer 29 questions. The third to last room would be the dettiles where if an immigrant had a disease they would most likely be sent back to their home country. I think the immigrant’s family back home would be angry because they didn't make it into the new country and used a lot of money. The second to last would be the Stairs of Separation, where immigrants were separated and were sent to their destination. The last stop is the kissing post where immigrants would meet their families but to let their family know when to arrive, their family was either sent a letter or they would find out from a newspaper. I think they would probably get a letter so then everyone won't know. 

The history of Ellis Island had a lot of ups and downs. Before Ellis Island was built, it was called Gull island and was just a little piece of mud, Gull Island was owned by Sam Ellis. Shortly after Gull Island was sold to New York for about ten-thousand  dollars, and renamed to Ellis Island. Ellis Island was then turned into a immigration station and first opened on January first, 1815, wow! A piece of mud to a immigration station, thats crazy! So much progress has occurred, the builders of New York were probably really motivated! Later in 1897, a fire began and destroyed all of Ellis Island's original buildings. Ellis Island's buildings were built again. I wonder how the fire began, if that happened to me, most of my hard work would be gone. I would have quit. Ellis Island reopened in the 1900s.

Once Ellis Island closed in 1954 the island changed. For one example it changed into a detention and deportation island for immigrants. After that  the US government took over it. Ellis Island also was used to store gunpowder. Ellis Island was also used in the war of 1812. Then Samuel Ellis bought the island and that is how Ellis Island got its name. Also Ellis Island was used for WW1 too. I wonder if Ellis Island is going to change in the future? This might happen but will probably not since there is probably not going to be another war in the future and any other big events coming up. One more thing is that the British took over it right before the revolutionary war happend. After everything Ellis Island has been turned into it is now a museum. People can also trace their family when they go to Ellis Island. Probably after a while Ellis Island will stay as a museum or change into something else. It must have been hard to change Ellis Island in a short amount of time.If Ellis Island changed like that in a short amount of time then it would require a lot of work.

Two weeks later when the immigrants were finally in New York. Immigrants got on top of the boat and looked outside and saw New York and the Statue of Liberty. When the immigrants saw the Statue of Liberty and how big it was they must have been really surprised. When they arrived at Ellis Island, the guards placed down a plank for the immigrants to get off the boat. After getting off the boat, immigrants carried their luggages into Ellis Island and continued. Immigrants got inspected for diseases. If the immigrants didn´t pass the inspections and had diseases, they would have to stay in the dormitory before going back to their home in Europe. More than half of the immigrants had diseases and weren't responsible and strong enough to continue. This might be important because their families would have got mad because they used a lot of money and didn’t go through Ellis Island. Immigrants who went on to the kissing post had gone through Ellis Island.

When immigrants arrived at Ellis Island. Immigrants had to go through many tests to see if they were allowed in Ellis Island. Immigrants did a health check and if the immigrants had diseases or infections, the immigrants would have to be sent home or they would be treated in the Ellis Island hospital. If the immigrants passed that test they would move on and the immigrants would have to be asked at least ninety-two questions such as, Are you married? Where were you born?,  and How much money do you have? It makes me think why did the immigrants have to be asked personal questions? Probably it’s because Ellis Island personnel wanted to make sure that the immigrants were good enough to stay there. Then after that test there were many other tests that the immigrants went through, and if the immigrants passed those tests they were sent to their rooms. They stayed in dormitory rooms on the third floor of Ellis Island. In the dormitory rooms. Immigrants were normally with people that were in the same culture or spoke the same language. Once they had settled. Immigrants started working hard and earning money. After many years later, when Ellis Island had finally closed. Immigrants who traveled to Ellis Island, their names would be engraved on a wall. Many people can trace their ancestors back to Ellis Island.

Ellis Island immigration boat started to unload full of immigrants. The guards come and bring them to the first stop as they arrive. They enter the baggage room and put down their baggage to be checked. Next they arrived at the stairs. Here the unfit people who had a problem getting up the stairs were identified and sent back. Ellis Island's registry room is the start of the immigration process.  After the registry room, they were taken to the medical exam room where they are tested for diseases. Anyone who had a disease was sent back or was treated. Next they were then taken to stop number seven where they were asked 29 questions about why they were there, where they came from and other questions. Immigrants walked to the isle of hope with there heart beating fast and rapidly and there are very excited to become a american citizen Then, when they complete processing were kept in the detainment center, known as both ¨the Isle of Hope'' and ¨The Isle of Tears¨ reflecting sadness or the joy in their futures.

After arriving, they do inspections, and other things to make sure the immigrants aren’t sick and aren’t a threat to people. I would be angry if I was considered to be a threat! The immigrants? Probably. But all of this happened when they reached the registry room. After people were inspected and checked, sick people had to have their case reviewed by judges and see if they were allowed to go into America as soon as they got out. This must have been stressful. The doctors at Ellis island created a system to know which immigrants needed special attention. They called the first test the “six second physical”.

Doctors looked for signs of illness or contagious diseases. If they were confirmed a risk to the public, their clothes would be marked with chalk. After all of the stages, you will reach the “kissing post”. You will meet up with your family and reunite! The long, tough, grueling journey was now over. You are amazing, immigrants!

Lucas Palmer

    350 babies  were born on Ellis Island along with 3,500 dieing out of twelve million immigrants who passed through from 1892 to 1954.  
When people were off  the boat , and were checked for obvious signs of sickness, and danger, Immigrants  would  climb steps because doctors would see if anybody was uneasy, or wobbly to check If immigrants were not fit enough to be in America . Next they  would get a six second physical, and a tool called a buttonhook would be put into immigrants  eyes.  It must have been a painful experience because it was sharp! Buttonhooks were used to check for a disease which was not in America, but around  the world. Then if the immigrants were healthy enough they  would be stamped for safety or would be deported if failed. 

Afterwards if they passed the medical exam they would be interviewed in the “great hall'' where immigration officials would interview them, and they would get a pass if  they were not dangerous.  Immigration officials  would fit their name to an American one . Subsequently letting  immigrants leave for New York City or beyond! 

Landing at Ellis Island was a very exciting experience but one that would make you cry because seeing the Statue of Liberty, the beacon of hope and freedom for the US, that will make you cry no problem. There are several steps when you land at Ellis Island, like taking a ferry from the boat, converting your money to american currency, and filling out paperwork. People also get medical checks to make sure they have no diseases. If they have diseases they might get sent back to their original country. I wonder what it would be like if the boats to Ellis Island were modern barges. I think that the trip to Ellis Island would be shorter because they would have more speed. There would need to be less barges because they can get back and forth much faster. I also wonder if diseases would spread less because they would get to Ellis Island faster and there would be less time for the disease to infect other people.

there all their stuff they proceeded. All the immigrants had to go up these stairs where doctors would see you go up the stairs if you had health issues. If you fall down you would have to go back to the boat even if you were going up the stairs slowly. Afterwards, immigrants would go to the inspection room. All 29 questions were asked to immigrants. After being asked all those 29 questions, all immigrants. the last stop all of those immigrants would next have to go to the kissing booth. were they would see relatives, family.