Future in the Balance
Future in the Balance: Immigration, Public Health and the Ellis Island Hospitals
The immigration station on Ellis Island was the largest of the federal facilities built in response to the rising number of immigrants arriving in the Unites States at the end of the nineteenth century. Federal legislation passed in 1891 mandated health inspections for all arriving immigrants and treatment for those arriving too ill or infirm to enter the country. This is the untold story of Ellis Island, and the reason for the construction of a general hospital and contagious and infectious disease wards on land made of fill that expanded Ellis Island to 27.5 acres. The hospitals were run by the U. S. Public Health Service, where 1.2 million immigrants were inspected and treated from 1901 until 1954, when the island was closed.
Future in the Balance: Immigration, Public Health and the Ellis Island Hospitals tell the story of this incredible medical facility through the voices of immigrants treated there, doctors, nurses and support staff. It explores the uses of the facility during the two world wars, when military personnel were treated there, and its final use by the U. S. Coast Guard as a training facility in the late 1940s.
The exhibit is installed in the restored Ferry Building, the first of the un-restored buildings on Ellis Island’s south side to be completely restored. Tours of the exhibit are available for the public and for special groups. Visit the calendar to see the latest schedule. To book a tour for a group of eight or more, click here
To hear audio clips from the exhibit, click here.
To see a slide show of the exhibit, click here.
