« Post Election Blues? Here's a sure cure! | Main | Happy Thanksgiving! »
November 01, 2004
Ellis Island - 50 Years Ago - America's Front Door Closes
I was browsing through the November 2004 Issue of Smithsonian magazine and came upon an interesting tidbit regarding Ellis Island. It's in the "This Month In History" page which lists anniversaries that are "Momentous or Merely Memorable." Ellis Island, "America's front door," was closed in November 1954, sixty-two years after the first immigrant passed through it. The article makes mention that more than 12 million immigrants faced legal and medical exams at Ellis Island to gain entry into the country with 98 percent passing. In 2004 their descendants make up nearly half of the U.S. population.
The internet is a great place to search up information on something that you may find of interest, and this short article interested me enough to search for more information on Ellis Island. A Google search turned up many many many links. One of these links took me to an interesting website, The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. The site has an extended timeline and history of the island as well as the ability to search Passenger Arrival records. I searched on my last name, Holt, and was amazed at how many immigrants with the name were processed through Immigration at Ellis Island. Maybe it's time to start working again on the ol' Family Tree.
America truly is a "melting pot" of different cultures, nationalities, religions, beliefs, and political affiliations. It's a wonder that our great country works at all sometimes. I believe the common denominator that binds us all together is our love of freedom. Freedom to express ourselves, freedom of religion, freedom to choose our political affiliations. You don't have to look hard or far to see what the United States has going for it. We as Americans often times get "immune" to all the freedoms and rights we enjoy as a country, because they're always there. It's sort of like having running water in your house.... it's taken for granted until there's a water line break. When the water is shut off for a few hours while the repairs take place, those hours can seem like an eternity.
Tomorrow, November 2nd, take time out of your busy day and exercise one of your many rights..... VOTE! Don't take this right for granted! When you cast your vote, please think about the people that have fought for your rights. To add some more wear to a saying... "Freedom isn't free," just ask a Veteran.
Posted by webmaster at November 1, 2004 09:36 PM