Republican Atheists’ President visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty in New York
I recently had a great time visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York for the first time.
I purchased a ticket to see Ellis Island through the National Park Service, which operates both sites. Visitors who purchase tickets before 4pm can see both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, but afterwards there is enough time to see only one site.
Initially I wanted to walk up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, but later learned that the tour was not available. I decided to not get off the boat at the Statue of Liberty and instead to get off at Ellis Island. Tickets to go to the crown can be purchased online, though they should be purchased weeks in advance of the date intended for visit.
After buying a ticket I waited in a line in a large building full of people waiting to board a ferry boat. Within 20 minutes a large ferry boat arrived and everyone piled in. There was indoor space where people could stand and sit along the edge of the boat, as well as outdoor space on top of the boat. I climbed a flight of stairs to the top viewing deck.
The Statue of Liberty appears actually quite small from mainland New York, but was fairly large once the boat was closer to the site. People on the boat clambered to take photos with the statue behind them. An audio guide noted that the statue was designated in 1886, and became a National Monument in 1924. The boat let people off at the statue and then went on to Ellis Island. The entire boat trip to the statue and Ellis Island was fairly short, probably less than twenty minutes.
The boat soon docked and I got off. Ellis Island was not far from mainland New York and contained a number of large buildings. The island was obtained by the National Park Service in 1965, and buildings were repaired to be presented as a historical landmark. A museum about the history of immigration to the United States was opened in 1990, which is now known as the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.
Ellis Island was used by immigration services from 1892 to 1954. Over 12 million immigrants were processed there during that time. Before Ellis Island opened, immigrants were processed at Castle Garden Immigration Depot in Lower Manhattan.
After the 1924 Immigration Act, immigration was greatly restricted and overseas embassies took on the role of processing immigrants. From then on the immigrants that came to the island were people who had problems with their paperwork, were displaced persons or were war refugees.
Immigrants were expected to have some money on them to begin their lives in the new country, approximately $600 when adjusted to 2015 inflation. Immigrants with health problems were retained at the island, and over 3,000 people died while waiting in the island’s hospital.
Incoming immigrants went through a screening process to be determined if they were fit to enter the country. Eugenics played a role in determining who could enter America, and was supported by Harry Laughlin, superintendent of the Eugenics Record Office from 1910 to 1939. Incoming immigrants were screened for physical problems (disease, deformity, abnormalities), mental problems (depression, “imbecility”), and moral problems (homosexuality, criminality, poverty). The eugenist belief was that these problems were hereditary.
Finally, there is a free service offered, called “Passenger Search,” that provides people the option to search over 51 million records that have been retained in a database. Distant relatives can possibly be found in this database.
The trip was enjoyable and interesting. I encourage it to anyone who hasn’t visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island before.
Lauren Ell is President of Republican Atheists. She is a business owner, consultant, marketer and communications strategist. Contact Lauren Ell here. Follow Republican Atheists on Facebook and Twitter.
