#Ellis island registry for free
#Ellis island registry registration
#Ellis island registry windows

#Ellis island registry registration

While Country of Origin appears on the Certificate of Registration and in the digital database, this information is not etched on the Wall of Honor.John and Mary Smith, not John & Mary Smith) Specify upper and lower case letters and spacing where necessary (e.g., von Wyck, DiBello).

When honoring a family name, we recommend using a first and last name (e.g., The John Smith Family.) Please note that “The” and “Family” are always used in such an entry.More than 100 million Americans have ancestors who immigrated through Ellis Island or one of the New York Harbor immigration stations that preceded it.

When honoring someone with a married name, consider including the maiden name (e.g., Mary Thompson Smith or Mary Thompson-Smith). The entire collection of Ellis Island New York Passenger Arrival Lists from 1820 to 1957 is now available online.Such submissions will appear as a sign name (e.g., John Jack Smith). No inclusion of parentheses or quotation marks (e.g., John (Jack) Smith or John “Jack” Smith).No years, ages, or digits of any kind can be inscribed on the Wall of Honor (e.g., 1986, 30, 5).or Mrs., M.D., Esq., Rev., General, etc.) Jr., Sr., III etc. Maximum of 40 characters per entry, including spaces and punctuation.The wing has been carefully restored to its appearance during the period 1918 to 1924. For an unfortunate 2%, it meant exclusion and a return trip to the homeland.ĭuring Ellis Island's busiest years, this wing contained legal hearing rooms, waiting rooms for witnesses, detention quarters, and staff offices. For others, it meant a longer stay with additional testing or a legal hearing. Ellis Island's main function was to screen out those considered undesirable – the incurably ill, the impoverished, the disabled, criminals, and all others barred by the immigration laws of the United States.įor the vast majority of immigrants, Ellis Island meant three to five hours of waiting for a brief medical and legal examination prior to admittance. The exhibits in the west wing on the second floor of the museum describe step-by-step what most new arrivals experienced on Ellis Island, the federal government's first immigrant inspection depot. Statue of Liberty NM, National Park Service. Approximately 15 to 20% of the aliens who appeared before the boards were ultimately denied admission to the United States.Įxhibit island located in the Through America's Gate Exhibit. An immigrant who received an unfavorable decision from the board, could appeal directly to Washington, D.C., with the help of a lawyer often provided by an immigrant aid society. Each board held 50 to 100 hearings daily in the presence of an interpreter and a stenographer.Įach board based its decision on the testimony of the immigrant and of friends or relatives allowed to speak on the immigrant's behalf. Three boards were usually in session all day, and during busy seasons a fourth board was added. has Ellis Island records in their collection New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957.

#Ellis island registry for free

Those thought 'liable to become public charges,' or suspected of being contract laborers or worse, received yellow cards marked 'S.I.,' which meant that their cases would be decided by a Board of Special Inquiry. The Ellis Island Foundation has indexes and digital images of most records from 18921957 available for free on. About 10% of the persons arriving at Ellis Island were held for a legal hearing. Located in the 'Through America's Gate' exhibit, the 'Hearing Room,' has been restored to look as it did around 1911, during the period when it served as a Board of Special Inquiry hearing room. Photographs of the room during other time periods can be seen on the east and west ends of the balcony. The Registry Room has been restored to its appearance in 1918-24, including several original wooden benches. Here they encountered the complex demands of the immigration laws and an American bureaucracy that could either grant or withhold permission to land in the United States. It was here that immigrants underwent medical and legal examinations. For most immigrants, this great hall epitomized Ellis Island. On many days, over 5,000 people would file through the space. Nearly every day, for over two decades (1900-1924) the Registry Room was filled with new arrivals waiting to be inspected and registered by Immigration Service officers. For the immigrants, however, the room was often a loud, confusing and frightening place.

#Ellis island registry windows

Today, the enormous arched windows and immense open spaces of the Registry Room evoke a feeling of grandeur. Statue of Liberty NM, National Park Service The Registry Room or 'Great Hall,' today.