The United States is considered the world's foremost refuge for foreigners, and no place in the nation symbolizes this better than Ellis Island. Through Ellis Island's halls and corridors more than twelve million immigrants-of nearly every nationality and race-entered the country on their way to new experiences in North America. With an astonishing array of nineteenth- and twentieth-century photographs, Ellis Island leads the reader through the fascinating history of this small island in New York harbor from its pre-immigration days as one of the harbor's oyster islands to its spectacular years as the flagship station of the U.S. Bureau of Immigration to its current incarnation as the National Park Service's largest museum.

Ellis Island, off the southern tip of Manhattan, was the major portal for European immigrants to the United States and looms large in 19th century and early 20th century history. After extensive restoration, today it is an international symbol and important museum. Edited by a noted historian and librarian at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, this is the first encyclopedia devoted to the island, documenting its various incarnations. rooms and buildings, events, immigration laws and acts, organizations, and other terms associated with the island's history. This ready reference work is perfect for synthesizing information for student reports on immigration and heritage. Genealogists and browsers will find this captivating reading as well. A chronology, primary document appendices, and plentiful photos give added value. The only reference work of its kind on the most important entry portal for most immigrants to the US The author is the official librarian and historian of the Ellis Island museum.