Little Miss HISTORY Travels to
ELLIS ISLAND

A journey begins with leaving one place and venturing forth toward a new one. Millions of immigrants left their homelands in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to seek the promise of a better future in America. Why did they abandon their homeland? Some fled political oppression or slavery, and others sought work or the opportunity to acquire land to farm. Those who entered the Great Hall on Ellis Island did so with fear in their hearts and hope in their eyes.

Follow along and explore their dreams and experiences as they passed through the gates at Ellis Island. Perhaps you will see one of your ancestors reflected in their eyes. For most immigrants, the end of their transatlantic voyage was a new beginning; for others, it became “An Island of Tears.”