Manuscript and typescript histories of Ellis Island, N.Y.
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Abstract
Two brief histories of Ellis Island, one typewritten by the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the United States Department of Justice, dated 1947, and the other handwritten by a descendant of Samuel Ellis, dated 1951.
Historical note
Ellis Island, an island in Upper New York Bay, is named for Samuel Ellis, who acquired land on the island in 1785. Purchased in 1808 by the State of New York, the island was then turned over to the federal government, which used it for a time as a fort and arsenal to defend the harbor. Beginning in 1892, Ellis Island became the site of the federal immigration center. Between 1892 and 1924, 71 percent of alll immigrants to the United States came through the immigration center at Ellis Island. In 1924, restrictions on mass immigration by Congress diminished the role of Ellis Island as an immigration center, and until 1954 it was mainly used as a site to detain deportees. The island was declared a national monument in 1965, though lack of funds to restore the immigration facilities caused them to deteriorate in the ensuing decades. Private restoration efforts were begun in the 1980s, and a museum of immigratrion on the island was opened to the public in 1990.
Source:
- Blumberg, Barbara. "Ellis Island," in The Encyclopedia of New York City, ed. Kenneth T. Jackson (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New York Historical Society, c1995), 372-373.
Arrangement
This small collection is housed in a single folder.
Scope and Contents
Two brief histories of Ellis Island, one typewritten by the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the United States Department of Justice, dated 1947, and the other handwritten by a descendant of Samuel Ellis, dated 1951. Photocopies of the original histories are also included.
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Manuscript and typescript histories of Ellis Island, N.Y., 1977.574, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source and date of acquisition unknown. Formally accessioned in 1977.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Minimally processed to the collection level. This collection was rehoused and the finding aid revised by Dee Bowers in 2023.
