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Why Is Ellis Island Significant

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Ellis Island’s Historical Significance to New York and the United States
“The study of past events,” as stated by Merriam-Webster is the definition of History. [2] Now, let us ask ourselves: What is the history of New York City? This answer can go back to several different decades and towards even centuries, and therefore we should thus specify our time and landmark of New York City. For this purpose, let us zoom in on a specific place that holds memories of many Americans from past to present. Let us look at Ellis Island, and its historical context in relevance to New York City. Let us examine its evolution and its impact to not only New York, but towards the entire country of USA.
What is Ellis Island? Based on National Park Service and the U.S Department of the Interior, Ellis Island was America’s largest and most active immigration station from 1892 to 1924. Over twelve million immigrants were processed through this base. Typically, the inspection process took nearly three to seven hours. For many travelers, this place was an “Island of Hope,” which marked the first step towards their path for new opportunities and experiences in the United States. For others, it became well known as the “Island of Tears,” because it was also a place where …show more content…

This landmark opened to the public opened to in 1976 and 1984 with limited access. Progressing from 1984, Ellis Island went through a major restoration, which is deemed to be the biggest historic restoration in U.S. history. This restoration spent over $160 million dollars. It was funded by donations made to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. as well as the National Park Service. Eventually the main Building was reopened to the public on September 10, 1990 marked as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. To this day, the island museum receives approximately 2 million visitors annually.

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