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Prior
to 1855, people disembarking from ships in New York did not have to go
through any inspection process. They could go directly to the wharfs
without even being screened for contagious diseases. From 1855 to 1890,
immigrants arriving at the port of New York landed in what was called "Castle
Garden," (a former opera house) which
was located at the southern tip of Manhattan. At that time, the federal
government had a contract with the State of New York to inspect and
process all those who wanted to immigrate. In 1890, with a new wave of
immigration, the federal government decided that it wanted to take
control of this process, and could thus screen out all of the
undesirable arrivals, e.g. those who were sick or so poor that they
would be a burden on the nation. The state wouldn’t let the federal
government use Castle Garden, so a new center was needed. Between 1890
and 1892, while a new building was being constructed, people were
screened at the Old Barge House near the U.S. Customs Office at the
southeast end of Manhattan. Then, in 1892, Ellis Island was ready.
Before we talk about Ellis
Island, let's first learn more about the history of Castle Garden.
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