
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


“That’s the light of freedom! Remember that. Freedom.”
This is the story of 40% of modern America’s ancestors—this is the story of Ellis Island.
Religious persecution. Economic devastation. Stifling political regimes. Whether fleeing for their lives or simply to improve them, Europeans—especially Eastern and Southern Europeans—are flocking to turn-of-the-century America. But no port is busier than New York City.
The journey is no laughing matter. Many immigrants are traveling nearly penniless as they make their way to major port cities. They then endure the filth, stench, and overcrowding of steerage for two weeks on the Atlantic, all with the hope that they’ll pass the health and legal inspections of Ellis Island. The vast majority will, but the fear of being turned away—of being separated from family members allowed in, or being sent back to Europe destitute–is terrifying.
This is the Island of Hope … and the Island of Tears. This is Ellis Island.
____
Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
By Prof. Greg Jackson4.7
58765,876 ratings
“That’s the light of freedom! Remember that. Freedom.”
This is the story of 40% of modern America’s ancestors—this is the story of Ellis Island.
Religious persecution. Economic devastation. Stifling political regimes. Whether fleeing for their lives or simply to improve them, Europeans—especially Eastern and Southern Europeans—are flocking to turn-of-the-century America. But no port is busier than New York City.
The journey is no laughing matter. Many immigrants are traveling nearly penniless as they make their way to major port cities. They then endure the filth, stench, and overcrowding of steerage for two weeks on the Atlantic, all with the hope that they’ll pass the health and legal inspections of Ellis Island. The vast majority will, but the fear of being turned away—of being separated from family members allowed in, or being sent back to Europe destitute–is terrifying.
This is the Island of Hope … and the Island of Tears. This is Ellis Island.
____
Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

23,775 Listeners

1,577 Listeners

3,814 Listeners

2,376 Listeners

4,462 Listeners

784 Listeners

4,051 Listeners

19,244 Listeners

301 Listeners

6,705 Listeners

19,070 Listeners

2,947 Listeners

270 Listeners

85,609 Listeners

107 Listeners

4,197 Listeners

692 Listeners

4,700 Listeners

559 Listeners

917 Listeners

2,845 Listeners

376 Listeners

2,142 Listeners

1,886 Listeners

12,786 Listeners

2,042 Listeners

202 Listeners

1,569 Listeners

85 Listeners

116 Listeners

234 Listeners

781 Listeners

119 Listeners

1,540 Listeners

173 Listeners