For millions of poor and oppressed people, America was the land of freedom and opportunity. The doorway to that promised land was Ellis Island, a small island in New York Bay, within sight of the tall buildings of New York City.

From 1892 to 1943, Ellis Island was the main American immigration center. More than 16 million people, newly arrived from Europe, passed through its warehouse-like buildings. Most of them were poor; all of them wanted a better life for themselves and their children. But first they had to be officially admitted to America. On Ellis Island they were examined by doctors to be sure that they were healthy. They were asked questions about their possessions and about the sponsors who were to meet them. Some were given heartbreaking news; they were sent back to Europe, usually because they were not healthy. But for most, the dream came true. They were ferried to New York City to begin a new life in America.

Today, four out of ten Americans has an ancestor who arrived at Ellis Island. The government stopped using Ellis Island as its major immigration center in 1943. But Ellis Island was too important to forget. In 1990, it opened as a museum of America's immigration heritage. 

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