US Immigration History: Difference between revisions

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 ===Castle Garden===
 On August 1, 1855, the New York opened the first official immigrant receiving station in New York City. It functioned as an immigrant processing center and was the first of its kind in the United States. Castle Gardens operated as an Emigrant Landing Depot until April 18, 1890, when the United States government assumed control of immigrant processing. In total, the center processed approximately 8 million immigrants (mostly from northern and western Europe). <ref>Arbeiter, Nancy Levin. "The Port of New York Before Ellis Island". ''AVOTAYNU'' XXI (Fall 2005): 27-34.</ref><ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Castle Clinton," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Clinton, accessed 8 August 2018.</ref><ref>"Ellis Island History," ''The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation'', https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/ellis-island-history</ref>
+When immigrants disembarked at Castle Garden, they had to register with their name, birth place, and destination. A clerk at the Railway Agency would then purchase a railway ticket for the immigrant to travel to that destination. The immigrant's baggage would be weighed and checked to his destination. Exchange brokers for immigrants to exchange foreign currency and a restaurant was also located at the center. A station for letting writing was also available, in which an immigrant could send a letter free of charge to inform family or friends of their arrival. The Ward's Island and medicinal department was an important bureau at Castle Garden. There, immigrants without the means to support themselves would be cared for until assistance came from friends or the immigrants would be disposed of as laborers. A large blackboard with the names of ships who were or would shortly be at port as kept for friends of the immigrants to know when they arrived and locate them. The Labor Exchange was where immigrants, and others, could apply for and generally find employment. Immigrants could also find boarding houses to rest for one or two days before heading out to their destinations.<ref>Krbechek, Blanche. "About Castle Garden: Notes from an 1871 Article." ''Kashubian Association of North America Newsletter'' (Summer 2008): 4-5.</ref>
+Castle Gardens was a very busy and important immigrant receiving station. To illustrate, in 1869, 2884 letters written from immigrants to their friends were forwarded, over $41,000 was sent from these friends in return. Also in 1869, 4393 telegraph messages were forwarded and 1351 answers were received. Also, 504 steamers and 209 sailing vessels arrived carrying passengers.<ref>Krbechek, Blanche. "About Castle Garden: Notes from an 1871 Article." ''Kashubian Association of North America Newsletter'' (Summer 2008): 4-5.</ref>
 Records from Castle Garden can be found at [http://www.castlegarden.org/ www.castlegarden.org]. Records (numbering around 11 million) range from 1820 to 1892.