Ellis Island | The Human Tide

Lindsay Graham (0:00)

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Imagine it's September 1903 on Ellis Island. You're the commissioner of immigration and you're chairing a board of special inquiry hearing where immigrants denied entry to America are given further review. The conference room is unusually crowded because President Theodore Roosevelt is visiting today with an entourage of friends and officials. After a sidelong glance at the president who sits beside you, you peer down at your files and then prepare to introduce the first case up for review. All right, gentlemen, first we have a Hungarian man who intends to travel to Shamokin, Pennsylvania to meet his son-in-law. He has a railroad ticket, but only $12 in his possession.

I think we can all agree that his deportation must stand. Now wait just a minute. The room turns its attention to Roosevelt who leans forward in his chair. Why should there be any doubt about this man? He seems like a good enough fella. Mr. President, with only $12 to his name, he's more than likely to become a public charge, and the law clearly states that we cannot admit anyone incapable of getting by on their own. And how can you be so sure he won't get by? Well, of course, we can't predict the future, sir, but for an immigrant to gain entry, there must be no room for doubt, and I have my doubts. I've seen this type before. This man is destined to become a charity case.

Roosevelt claps his hand on the shoulder of the man who sits on the other side of him, his good friend Jacob Rees, the famous Danish-American writer. Well, by that logic, Jake here should have been sent home when he walked off his ship in New York all those years ago. You had less than $12 in your pocket, didn't you, Jake? Rees nods in agreement, and the other visitors and board members laugh good-naturedly. You clear your throat.

That may be true, but this man is no Jacob Rees. We must be cautious. But Roosevelt raises a hand to silence you, sweeping his gaze across the room. How about we put it to a vote? Who agrees we should admit the Hungarian?

One by one, the entire table puts up their hands. Roosevelt beams in satisfaction. You are furious that the president refuses to trust your judgment. Your job is to strictly enforce the laws of this nation, and you're convinced that the last thing this country needs is another pauper who can't pay his own way.

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Lindsay Graham (4:05)

From Audible Originals, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American History Tellers. Our history, your story.

In September 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited Ellis Island and clashed with William Williams, his newly appointed commissioner. Roosevelt had enlisted Williams to bring an end to the corruption and abuse that had plagued Ellis Island for years, but they still It soon diverged over how strictly immigration law should be enforced. Between 1900 and 1915, 15 million immigrants arrived in the United States, equaling the number of new arrivals in the previous 40 years combined. This record surge of immigration powered the new industrial economy while unleashing new anxieties about a changing American. Ellis Island became the central battleground in the national debate over how strictly immigration should be regulated. Caught in the middle were the millions of men, women and children who passed through its doors, and for many, a shift toward tighter immigration enforcement would have heartbreaking consequences. This is episode 2, The Human Tide.