Why go
Use this chapter to picture the arrivals behind the museum’s processing rooms. First and second class passengers generally cleared checks aboard ship or at the pier; steerage travelers crossed from the docks to Ellis Island for medical and legal inspection.
The full story
Steamships brought immigrants to New York Harbor from overseas, but their passengers did not all enter through the same procedure. First and second class travelers generally received a brief inspection aboard ship. Officials assumed that people who could pay for those tickets were less likely to need public support, although illness or a legal problem could still bring them to Ellis Island. Steerage, or third class, passengers often crossed the Atlantic in crowded quarters near the lower part of the ship. After their vessel docked at a Hudson or East River pier, they transferred by ferry or barge to Ellis Island. There they faced medical and legal checks before continuing their journey. This class distinction is central to understanding the museum. The Registry Room does not represent every person who sailed into New York; it most strongly reflects the experience of passengers whose lower fares led to more intensive scrutiny.