For immigrants coming from Europe, Ellis Island was the place that the majority of them would arrive. Ellis Island served as a processing center for these European immigrants. It could handle as many as 1,000,000 immigrants a year. For the most part, the first sight of Ellis Island was a time of celebration, because what they had gone through in their home countries and the voyage across had made them weary for a place of refuge. Unfortunately, not every immigrant who wanted to come to the U.S. was allowed to stay. This meant that families could be split up. Some could be sent back, while the rest stayed. Immigrants could be sent back because they did not pass a certain physical test or they had a mental or physical disability. This was heartbreaking for many families.
United States Immigration 1880's-2000's
Have you ever wondered why immigrants left their own countries to come to the United States? What do you think pushed them away from their native lands and pulled towards them towards the United States?