The Journey to America

For many, it was a pivotal point in their lives.The decision to buy a ticket on a steamship to the United States of America marked the end of one life and the start of new hopes and dreams. However, even though America was the land of promise for many European immigrants, buying a ticket on a steamship ended many of the previous dreams for the travelers. Oftentimes, ticket prices were so high that families were forced to sell their homes, land, and nearly every possession. It was a difficult choice for many, though many also thought it necessary to escape their problems.

Before immigrants would board a boat to America, many had to first reside in cramped quarantine houses for up to a week. It was in these lice-ridden buildings that immigrants were observed for disease or any sort of mental problems. If it was proven that any of the hopeful travelers were stricken by ailments that were not wanted in the United States, these immigrants were kept from leaving Europe. In addition, before boarding the steamship to America, the Europeans were asked if they were insane, anarchists, or prostitutes. If the answer to any of these questions was “yes,” then the immigrants were detained.

Many of the steamship lines kept careful records of those who boarded their vessels. Names, countries, and ages were usually kept. Today these records have proved quite useful for tracing ancestors who have come to America.

Upon leaving the shores of Europe, the steamships would journey across the oceans anywhere from six to eight days. The length of the trip was a far cry from the weeks and months that it took wind-powered ships to make the same journey. Passengers on the modern steam ships had less disease to worry about than former travelers crossing Atlantic did. Even so, sickness was not completely eliminated. Seeing that many immigrants were poor to start with, large numbers were unable to afford expensive tickets. As such, most of the travelers resided in the overcrowded lower decks. Due to the extreme crowding and the frequent lack of food, many immigrants still were struck by illness. However, unlike on the wind-powered ships of old, the illness was usually not fatal. Six to eight days was not enough time for death to steal away the immigrants with its icy, cold claws.

Two main passenger shipping lines were always in competition for business, along with many other smaller lines. Cunard and White Star were always in constant competition to build bigger and faster ships and thus make more profits, until the merging of the two companies in 1935. In fact, the race to build the biggest and fastest ships resulted in tragedy for many. The Titanic, perhaps the most infamous cruiser in the history of the world, was owned by the White Star Line. Cunard is still in business today, and a webpage for their cruises can be found on the internet.

There are 1 talkbacks on this article

References
22 International Channel, The "Ellis Island: Through America's Gateway" Unknown Publication Date <http://www.i-channel.com/features/ellis/> (August 3, 1999)

23 liners@powerscourt.com "The Cunard Line" Unknown Publication Date <http://www.powerscourt.com/liners/cunard.htm> (August 3, 1999)

24 Frank J. Coppa "Ellis Island" World Book Encyclopedia Multiple Editors. Chicago; World Book, Inc. 1993. pp. 224, Volume E



Last update: August 15 1999, 18:52 Eastern Standard Time
Copyright © 1999 Thinkquest Team 26786. All rights reserved.