Second Grade
Worksheets
Welcome to America
Anna and her sister had to move. Their parents packed a bag for each of them. They were not sure where they were going. They knew they were going to have a better life. They were not moving to a new town. They were not moving to a new state. They were moving to a new country. The girls were excited. They were nervous. They did not know too much about the country they were going to. All that they knew was that a better life was waiting for them. Anna's family boarded a ship. They traveled across an ocean. They landed in America.
Anna's family were immigrants. An immigrant is a person who leaves one country and moves to another to live. From 1892 to 1954, over 12 million immigrants came to the United States. They first went to an island. The island was like a doorway to the U.S. It was called Ellis Island. Ellis Island is in the New York Harbor.
Ellis Island started as a small island. It was made of sand. The Native Americans had called it "Gull Island." Later, it became known as "Oyster Island." Fisherman often went there to catch oysters. Then, in 1770, Samuel Ellis bought the island. For many years the island was used for many things. It was a resting spot for ships. It was military fort. Then it became an immigration station.
