In the great examination hall, they wait, some with curiosity, some with anxiety, the decision that shall give them entrance to the new home or consign them again to the Old World strife.

In 1886, the State of Liberty was unveiled at the entrance of New York Harbor. A gift from France, the statue stood a half mile from Ellis Island, the reception point for more than 12 million European immigrants from 1892 to 1924. In the examination room, newcomers were questioned by government officials and examined by doctors before being allowed into the country.

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