Ellis Island Research Paper

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For over 60 years, Ellis Island was the gateway for over twelve million immigrants entering the United States of America. Ellis Island opened in 1892 as an immigration station. It is a small island in New York Harbor, located in the Hudson River. It is between New York and New Jersey, and sits in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. Millions of immigrants passed through the doors of Ellis Island, and almost 40 percent of all United States citizens can trace at least one ancestor to Ellis Island immigration records.
Ellis Island is a tiny island not much more than a small patch of sand in the Hudson River. Before becoming the the site of the first Federal immigration station, Ellis Island had a diverse history. The Mohegan Indian tribe who lived on nearby land called the island “Kioshk”, which means Gull Island. During the 1630s, a Dutch man named Michael Paauw purchased the land and renamed it to Oyster Island because it was known for the rich oyster beds found on the beaches. During the 1700s, it became known as Gibbet Island, for its gibbet tree that used to hang men guilty of piracy. …show more content…

He builds a tavern on it for the local fishermen. In 1794 Ellis dies, and in 1808 New York State buys the island from his family for $10,000. Soon after, the U.S. Government pays the state for the right to use Ellis Island for military purposes. Over time the island had been called many names Kioshk, Oyster, Dyre, Bucking and Anderson's Island and Ellis Island. It also been known for many things from a small sandy island to a pirate hangout, a harbor fort, a military and ammunition storage named Fort Gibson, and finally into an immigration

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