June 19, 2008

New York City Tour Part 3

The final stop of our day brought us back near Liberty Harbor.

It was time to visit Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty.

We hopped on the short cruise to our destinations.

Along the way, we got another great view of the city's skyline.

Our first stop was Ellis Island, which served as the main entry facility for United States immigrants from 1892 to 1954.
More than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island during this period, including over 1 million in its peak year 1907.
About 10% of those arriving at Ellis Island were held for a legal hearing. If it was thought someone may become a public burden, was a contract laborer or worse, they would be brought to this hearing room.
Ultimately, only 2% of those trying to enter the United States were returned to their home countries. Reasons included criminal history, medical conditions and insanity.

Temporarily detained immigrants were housed in one of two dormitory rooms.
Back on the boat, visitors approaching The Statue get views of it from several different perspectives.
The Statue of Liberty was presented as a gift to the United States from the people of France in 1886.
Did you know the seven spikes on The Statue's crown are believed to represent both the seven seas and the seven continents?
As promised, here's the video of our full-day guided tour of New York City.
To be continued...

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