Monday, December 31, 2007

Emigrants at Ellis Island

Today we have a picture of Emigrants arriving at Ellis Island in the early 1900's. What an exciting day this must have been these people, and you have to wonder if they all achieved their dreams here.

Ellis Island was first opened on this day, December 31, in the year 1891.
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11 comments:

  1. My Irish great-grandmother did this trip. She was 14, alone, and escaping abuse. I'm sure she was terrified! Unfortunately, she married an alcoholic, so she never did have a happy life. :(

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  2. I am sorry she did not find happiness . . . hopefully she laid the foundation for some happiness in later generations:)

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  3. On the other hand, as a result of subsequent restrictions on immigration, many 14-year-old girls could not make the journey and died in Europe as a result. And, as PJM points out, at least her descendants have a decent shot at happiness.

    But what a courageous individual your great-grandmother must have been to have made that journey in the first place; and what terrible things she must have had to endure before she fled Ireland. Even at this very distant remove, my heart goes out to that young girl

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  4. Thanks. I hope she is at peace now, and I hope she would be pleased with how her descendants have turned out.

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  5. Should be "immigrants" entering a county and "emmigrants" leaving one. Many great stories of bravery and fear at Ellis Island

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  6. Bob,
    Thanks for the correction . . . I now understand the difference.

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  7. This is the way immigration should be done when allowed. This orderly and lawful process must be the ONLY way people come into our country.

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  8. I agree . . . I am all for imigration. I think we need lots of imigrants if there is any hope of having people to pay baby boomer social security. The issue to me is not imigration, it is illigal imigration.

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  9. God bless the people who braved the changes to make The United States what it is now. I am so proud to be an American citizen and I owe it all to my ancestors who took the ultimate risks. Bless them this Memorial Day. Check out Marc Cohn's song "Ellis Island". It puts it all into perspective. Richard Scott, Cincinnati - richardscottlive.org

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  10. i visited the ellis island museum it iis really cool!!!!!!!!

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  11. Recently finished researching and illustrating a children's book on Ellis Island. Thank goodness for the photographs that people took and the paintings and drawings they did or I would not have been able to get the "feel" of the place nor of the time.

    Thank you for your wonderful blog and research!

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