Why did they check if people were healthy at Ellis Island?
Why did they check if people were healthy at Ellis Island? Control of infectious agents also provided the impetus for immigrant medical inspections along the U.S. coasts in the late 19th century, but, in practice, it was the weeding out of chronic disease and disability that actually motivated public health officers on the line at Ellis Island and other U.S. immigration ...
What was the most dreaded thing for immigrants on Ellis Island?
The disease most feared was trachoma, a highly contagious eye infection that could lead to blindness and death. Once registered, immigrants were free to enter the New World and start their new lives. But if they were sick, they spent days, weeks, months even, in a warren of rooms.
Who owns Ellis Island today?
Since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1998, Ellis Island, which is federal property, belongs within the territorial jurisdiction of both New York and New Jersey depending upon where you are.