Leaving Ellis Island ...
One immigrants had passed through all inspections they were allowed to enter the United States. But first they had to exchange any money they had brought with them into U.S. dollars. After exchanging money, a barge took the people to Battery Park, on the outskirts of Manhattan where most were met by friends or family, directed towards other parts of the city, or taken to the train station that would transport them to other American cities. Others took a different ferry to New Jersey where they began their new lives. Common cities for immigrants to begin their new lives other than New York City were; Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston.
Immigration Through Ellis Island Documentary
“We were in that big room on those benches, just sitting and waiting, waiting to go through the examination.”
—Ursula Koropic Ruppe, Slovenian Immigrant, 1921
All the information on this page was accumulated from the following web sites:
http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/Eihist.html
http://brownvboard.org/brwnqurt/04-1/04-1a.htm
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/index.htm
http://www.history.com/minisites/ellisisland/
http://www.oah.org/pubs/magazine/gilded/koman.html