Inspection of Emigrants by the Hamburg America Line (1903)

Landing Stage at Cuxhaven, Germany, Near the Port of Hamburg. GGA Image ID # 19f52a5f55

Mr. Otto W. Hellmrich to Mr. Herbert H. D. Peirce.
EMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES VIA HAMBURG.
CONSULATE-GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES,
Hamburg, Germany, October 8, I903.

Emigrants embarking for the United States at Hamburg should be divided into three classes, viz:

• (A) Emigrants arriving from or via Russia
• (B) Emigrants arriving from or via Austria-Hungary
• (C) Emigrants arriving from other European countries

Emigrants arriving from or via Russia

(A) Emigrants passing the Russo-German border are taken to one of the control stations at Bajohren, Tilsit, Eydtkuhnen, Insterburg, Prostken, Illovo, Otloczyn, or Ostrowo, maintained mutually by the Hamburg America Line and the North German Lloyd, under the supervision of the Prussian Government. At these control stations, emigrants are bathed, their clothes and baggage are disinfected and labeled accordingly, and the passengers are medically examined and placed under medical observation until their departure.

At these stations, there are ticket offices of the two steamship companies, where officers examine emigrants' financial affairs to avoid issuing tickets to paupers and other persons likely to be deported upon their landing in the United States. Those admitted for transportation receive a passage pass, later exchanged in Hamburg for the steamship ticket proper.

Emigrants must remain at their respective control stations for at least twenty-four hours. Still, as a rule, they stay two, three, or four days until sufficient to fill a train. They are transported directly to the railway terminal at the Hamburg America Line's emigrants' barracks in Hamburg by a special emigrants' train via Ruhlben, a similar control station near Berlin. In Ruhleben, their papers are examined to ascertain whether they have appropriately passed the examination, etc., at one of the control stations along the Russo-German frontier, as described above.

Those who have proof of having passed one of the latter stations can proceed immediately to Hamburg. Still, those of whom there exists doubt in this respect, or of whom it is evident that they have avoided or escaped examination on the frontier, are detained until they have undergone the same treatment as prescribed for the border stations and sent on to Hamburg later.

This station at Ruhleben is also used to receive all emigrants-immaterial as to their former residence-found in any part of Prussia as "stragglers" (not in emigrants' trains).

All emigrants arriving from Russia are smuggled across the frontier. Whenever such emigrants are discovered, they are invariably sent to Ruhleben for examination. Several emigrants escape inspection at the border stations because Russia disapproves of emigration, except for Hebrews and Mennonites.

Emigrants arriving from or via Austria-Hungary

(B) Emigrants arriving from or via the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy are brought to either the control station at Ratibor or that at Myslowitz, in Silesia, where they undergo the same treatment as at the control stations along the Russian border, without, however, being bathed and quarantined, or being obliged to have their clothing and baggage disinfected, but being medically examined.

These emigrants are transported directly to Hamburg from the respective control stations in special trains or cars. As a rule, they do not land at the terminal at the barracks mentioned above but at one of the regular railroad depots.

Emigrants arriving from other European countries

(C) Emigrants from European countries other than Russia and Austria-Hungary arrive in Hamburg at any railroad depot without passing control stations.

Initial Medical Exam and Disinfecting Area for Newly Arriving Emigrants at Hamburg, Germany, Early 1900s. GGA Image ID # 21e9f61182

Treatment of Emigrants After Arriving in Hamburg

Upon their arrival in Hamburg, A-class emigrants are confined to the Hamburg America Line's own emigrants' barracks on the Veddel, a suburb of the city. These barracks are under the supervision of the Hamburg police department, which has a resident police inspector and is divided into two sections: the "dirty" and "clean" sections.

Upon leaving the train, they are placed in the "dirty" section until they have passed an examination by the Hamburg State government's official emigrants' surgeon. This surgeon makes his examination every morning, and every emigrant is carefully examined and undressed.

Those who have passed such examinations are allowed to enter the" clean" section after being bathed and after furnishing proof that their clothes and effects have been appropriately disinfected before entering Germany at one of the previous control stations; otherwise, such disinfection is done here.

After having entered the "clean" section of the barracks, emigrants are allowed to walk about of their own free will and to leave the barracks in the daytime (I know that very few. however, make use of this permission), but they may still be considered as being under medical observation because the said emigrants' surgeon visits the barracks daily. The police inspector has to report to him daily on the state of affairs, particularly the health of the emigrants. (I may mention that this police inspector has held this position for over ten years. He is known to this office as a conscientious and efficient officer.)

In the event of the outbreak of a case of dangerous contagious disease such as measles, chickenpox, smallpox, etc., the person or persons affected are immediately transferred to a hospital. Extra disinfection of baggage and clothing of the other occupants of the respective pavilion or pavilions or the entire barracks, according to the seriousness of the case, as well as isolation in a proper manner of the disease, is ordered by the emigrants' surgeon and strictly carried out under the supervision of the said police inspector.

The emigrants of the class herein referred to received their steamship tickets in the barracks that house the Hamburg America Line ticket office in exchange for the pass obtained at the respective control stations.

Emigrants of the B and C classes are admitted to the licensed "emigrants' lodging houses" in the city, which, however, are under constant control and supervision of the Hamburg Bureau of Emigration, the officers of which make tours of inspection of such lodging houses almost every night, thus preventing overcrowding and controlling sanitary conditions.

In case of a contagious disease outbreak, the same steps are 'taken as indicated in the preceding paragraph (concerning the A class of emigrants). The respective house is disinfected in all its parts. As there are heavy fines provided in case of an infraction of the police regulations for such emigrants' lodging houses, the proprietors of such homes are very careful in strictly observing the rules in force, especially as their houses are always under the surveillance of the bureau of emigration, as above mentioned.

Emigrants staying in lodging houses in the city are not subjected to medical examination upon arrival in Hamburg before embarkation. They can leave their homes and walk about the streets as they please. As these lodging houses only have room for a limited number of emigrants, most Band C classes are also sent to the emigrants' barracks, as if coming from Russia.

View of the Emigrant Dining Room at Hamburg, Germany, early 1900s. GGA Image ID # 21e9bca662

Embarkation of Emigrants at Hamburg

On the day before the sailing date, all steerage passengers for the respective vessel are taken to the passenger halls- those from the lodging houses in the city in carriages and those from the barracks on a tender.

Before embarkation, the baggage inspector of this office personally inspects all the baggage (who receives remuneration for his services indirectly from the Hamburg America Line but is otherwise in no manner connected with that company or interested therein).

All beddings and bed feathers found are disinfected under his supervision, except those previously disinfected and, as such, identified by the official label "disinfected" of one of the control stations. Thereupon, every piece of baggage of all .steerage passengers is labeled by him either with a red label" inspected, or with a yellow label" disinfected," as prescribed by the United States Quarantine Regulations.

The final medical examination takes place at the said passenger halls. All emigrants pass the official emigrants' surgeon in a single file.

If not rejected, he affixes an official stamp "medically examined" to each ticket, passes the ticket, to which are attached the "vaccination cards" required by the United States Quarantine Regulations, over to the baggage inspector, who then stamps the same with the official stamp of the office, "Passed, United States consulate-general, Hamburg," and returns the ticket to the respective emigrant.

Upon leaving the room where this final examination takes place, the emigrants immediately board the tender lying alongside the passenger halls. This tender takes them directly to the" large steamer" without allowing them to go ashore again.

Before boarding the tender at the passenger halls, emigrants must pass an examination by the local police department. This examination also takes place at the passenger halls and is usually carried out by four or five officers of the criminal police (plain-clothes men) to prevent the embarkation of German youths trying to escape military duty, army and navy deserters, fugitives from justice, minors leaving without permission of their parents or guardians, women abducted for prostitution, for the detection of persons illegally or under pretenses encouraging emigration, etc., thus rendering valuable services in preventing undesirable immigrants embarking for the United States.

Emigrants found at any of the above-described examinations, both medical and otherwise, physically, mentally, peculiarly, or otherwise unfit to embark or likely to be deported by the officers of the United States Bureau of Immigration, are invariably sent back to their homes in Russia, Galicia, Hungary, Roumania, or wherever the same may be.

The Hamburg America Line makes it a principle not to allow persons to embark for the United States of whom there exists, as far as can be ascertained here, doubt as to their admittance to the United States without difficulties. The company will never take passengers at its own risk who have been objected to by the official Hamburg emigrants' surgeon or at one of the previous examinations.

I may mention that a considerable number of emigrants are rejected daily at the several control stations along the frontier; a like number is objected to daily by the Hamburg emigrants' surgeon in the course of his daily inspections of the emigrants' barracks; furthermore, still, other emigrants are refused embarkation in the course of the final medical examination at the passenger halls, above mentioned. Such rejected emigrants are forbidden to embark for the United States and are returned home.

Emigrants from Hamburg are vaccinated on board by the ship's surgeon as soon after embarkation as practicable-generally before the vessel leaves the River Elbe. The ship's surgeon certifies such vaccination by endorsing each passenger's vaccination card, either by stamp or signature, as the quarantine laws prescribe.

Attending medical examinations

The medical examinations of emigrants at the passenger halls, immediately before boarding the steamer, are invariably attended by one of the consular officers here, from beginning to end. Besides the official emigrants' examining surgeon, the baggage inspector (who stamps the vaccination cards), and the consular officer, there are present at such examinations the ship's surgeon and second officer, an employee of the passage department of the Hamburg America Line, and one or two officers of the Hamburg bureau of emigration, occasionally acting as interpreters.

This office requires the Hamburg America Line to present the full emigrants' manifest to the inspecting consular officer for perusal at the said examination.

Although the authentication of these manifests by consular officers is no longer required, according to the recent immigration act, we carefully examine the manifests as to their correctness, completeness, etc., striking out all emigrants rejected and drawing our pen over the blank lines of the last sheet of the manifest, thus avoiding possible irregularities, such as adding passengers on the lists who have not passed 'medical and consular examination.

We also count the number of passengers per the manifest to obtain the correct number for the bill of health as the emigrants pass the examining surgeon in a single file, as stated above. In the presence of a consular officer, almost all of them carry their baggage, and we can also quickly satisfy ourselves that all luggage has been inspected and properly labeled.

Consular inspections of Vessels

To adequately explain the consular duties as performed in Hamburg in connection with this requirement, I deem it proper to divide the Hamburg America Line's and Sloman-Union Line's passenger steamers plying between Hamburg and New York (no steamers leaving from Hamburg for other ports of the United States with passengers) into four classes, viz:

• Express steamers (Auguste Victoria, Columbia, Furst Bismarck, Deutschland, Moltke, and Blucher).
• Passenger steamers of the so-called" P" class (Pennsylvania, Pretoria, Graf Waldersee, and Patricia).
• Steamers of the so-called "B" class (Bulgaria, Belgravia, and Batavia).
• Steamers belonging to the Sloman-Union Line (Albano, Pisa, Barcelona, and Pallanza).

The express steamers (1) are generally dispatched from Cuxhaven on Thursdays, remaining in port there from the date of arrival until the date of sailing. The consular agent inspects these vessels at Cuxhaven. Therefore, emigrants are examined in Hamburg the day before the sailing date and sent down to Cuxhaven on a tender, about five hours from Hamburg. They receive bread, meat, and coffee free of charge on the tender.

Cabin passengers for these vessels leave Hamburg for Cuxhaven by special train on the morning of the sailing date (Thursdays), such as the train leaving the depot here, as a rule, before 9:00 a.m. These vessels receive the bill of health at Cuxhaven in the same manner as is the practice in Bremerhaven for the ships of the North German Lloyd.

The" P" steamers (2) are dispatched from Hamburg on Saturdays, receiving the most significant part of their cargo and the entire food and water supply in this port. On account of shallow water in the Elbe between Hamburg and Brunshausen, these steamers, as a rule, cannot complete their cargoes here and, therefore, leave the port of Hamburg on Thursdays, anchoring again at Brunshausen or Krauts and on the Elbe where they receive the rest of the cargo from lighters.

As of leaving the port of Hamburg, the steerage compartments of these vessels were not yet correctly fixed up. This is being done at Brunshausen or Krautsand. In this event, we must inspect these vessels going down the Elbe on Friday afternoons by tender with the steerage passengers.

After taking the steerage passengers aboard on Friday evening, the vessel starts for Cuxhaven, where it remains until the following morning, when it takes over the cabin passengers arriving by special train from Hamburg, the same as for express steamers, leaving the Hamburg depot at the same hour.

If a steamer of this class leaves Hamburg, not before the eve of the sailing date, which, however, very seldom happens, the inspection takes place here in port, alongside the quay.

The inspection is done as prescribed by the United States Quarantine Laws and Regulations, steerage compartments, hospitals, water· closets and washrooms, crew's quarters, and examining food and water supply. The German emigration laws prescribe a similar inspection. For this purpose, four official inspectors are employed as Hamburg-former ship captains, engaged and salaried by the Hamburg State government.

They are conscientious and exact in their duties, so we generally inspect vessels at the same time, if feasible, that inspectors make their inspections.

The "P" steamers receive health bills in Hamburg and supplemental health bills at Cuxhaven.

The "B" steamers (3) and the Sloman-Union steamers (4) generally carry only steerage passengers- no cabin passengers. These steamers are typically dispatched from Hamburg directly, without calling at Cuxhaven, and are usually inspected here.

Sometimes, however, for the same reasons obtained in connection with the" P" steamers, the" B" steamers must leave the port a day or two before the sailing date. In this event, we inspect the vessels at Brunshausen or Krautsand in the same manner as explained concerning the "P" class of ships.

Examination of Cargo Manifests

Finally, to satisfy ourselves concerning the sanitary condition of the cargo, the Hamburg America Line presents to one of us at the depot, about an hour before the cabin passengers' special train leaves, a full copy of the cargo manifest of the respective vessel, accompanied by duplicates of all certificates of disinfection issued for all goods on board requiring disinfection, such as cattle hides not dry salted or arsenical cured, cattle glue stock, used bed feathers, and rags.

Before taking such goods on board, the Hamburg America Line, in compliance with instructions from this office, requires the shippers to present to us, at the consulate's office, the "Schiffszettel" (order to take goods on board) and a duplicate of the respective certificate of disinfection, which is thereupon stamped "passed."

Similarly, all Schiffszettel for goods that only require disinfection if they come from a district where an epidemic disease prevails is presented to us beforehand, together with a proof of origin, and stamped as above if approved or ordered to be disinfected. This requirement refers to articles like sheep and goatskins, horse hides, raw fur skins, bristles, guts, bladders, old rubber shoes, etc.

This system lets us satisfy ourselves that no goods on board the respective vessel should have been appropriately disinfected before their shipment when examining a cargo manifest.

Upon approval of the manifest, presented to one of us at the depot, as above together with all stamped Schiffszettel, the same being generally found to be in perfect order, it is subscribed and marked" approved," and thereupon the bill of health is issued.

The cargo manifests for the Sloman-Union steamers (4) are generally presented at the office. When one of the" B" steamers is being dispatched, carrying steerage passengers exclusively, the vessel remains in port or at Brunshausen. Wherever the cargo is being completed, the manifest can be sent aboard.

Under such circumstances, we must examine that manifest in the Hamburg America Line office, generally as late as 1 or 2 a.m., as the company can't complete cargo manifests for the New York steamers sooner.

For obvious reasons, keeping the vessel waiting until the following morning is impracticable. The bill of health must be issued before the ship leaves the Elbe. In addition to the preceding description of the consular duties performed here in connection with emigrant steamers, I would respectfully refer to Consul-General Pitcairn's Dispatch No. 272 (May 18, 1903) to the Department of State, of which the following is an extract:

Inspections of Ships Carrying Steerage Passengers

According to the Quarantine Laws and Regulations, all vessels carrying steerage passengers must be inspected, which means that I must board all such ships. This inspection is generally done on the day of departure, as such examinations should be made as late as practicable before sailing.

The Hamburg America Line's passenger steamers are generally docked at a quay in the remotest part of Hamburg's harbor; it takes about three-quarters of an hour to reach the location of the vessel from the consulate's office, which is situated in the center of the city.

The inspection itself takes at least an hour and a half, as a careful examination is made of all the holds to be occupied by steerage passengers, the washhouses, water closets, compartments for the crew, hospitals, provisions, water supply, etc.

For the convenience of the Hamburg America Line, to avoid delay in the dispatching of steamers on account of low water in the river, passenger steamers are frequently, in fact, were throughout the entire summer, last year-dispatched from Brunshausen-on-the-Elbe, about 36 miles beyond Hamburg. In such cases, it is necessary to go down the river on a tender to inspect the vessel there. This change in point of departure consumes, on average, from seven to ten hours and frequently more, often returning to the city as late as 1 or 2 a.m.

The inspections of the steerage passengers take place at the "PassagierHallen" (passenger halls), about half an hour from this office, where they are also medically examined by the surgeon employed by the Hamburg Bureau of Emigration, whom they have to pass in a single file, in my presence and that of the ship's surgeon and one of its officers, thus enabling me to inspect them properly and to see that those who have been found diseased, disabled, or otherwise unfit to emigrate to the United States are stricken from the manifests and prevented from boarding the steamer. Such inspections take from one to five hours or more and often occur outside of office hours.

Frequently, the time for the embarkation and inspection of a steamer is set at the same hour, thus requiring one of us to attend to the embarkation and another to the examination.

Cabin Passengers

The cabin passengers of the Hamburg America Line's steamers invariably board the vessel in Cuxhaven, leaving Hamburg on a special train early in the morning—always outside of office hours. On this train, the cargo manifests are also forwarded because they cannot be completed before a late hour the previous night.

One of us always carefully examines these manifests to ensure that no goods undisinfected on board require disinfection under the quarantine laws of the United States, such as rags, hides, skins, glue stock, etc.

At the last moment, before the train departs, an official of the steamship company gives me the number of the cabin passengers. Only after having thus been enabled to complete the required statements in the bill of health can I deliver the same. This work is done at the railroad depot from which the company's special train starts for Cuxhaven and takes about an hour.

Three of the Hamburg America Line's regular passenger steamers, the Bulgaria, Batavia, and Belgravia, only carry steerage passengers. When one of these steamers is dispatched, it must wait in port for the cargo manifest, which can only be taken on board after it is completed late at night, as indicated above.

We frequently had to go to the Hamburg America Line office as late as 1 or 2 a.m. to examine a freight manifest for one of these steamers.

Although this extract repeats a significant part of what I have said before, I have deemed it proper to include it in this report, as it fully indicates the time consumed in carrying out the quarantine laws and regulations here.

The preceding clearly explains the amount of trouble and loss of time incurred in fulfilling the many consular duties performed here in connection with emigrant steamers. Furthermore, one must admit that the performance of these duties is connected with certain dangers to the consular officers.

We have to be present at medical examinations in the course of which many emigrants are being rejected on account of dangerous contagious diseases, such as trachoma, favus, syphilis, eczema, measles, chickenpox, sometimes smallpox, scarlet, and typhoid fever, etc. The tickets of such rejected emigrants are given to us, and we strike their names from the manifest.

The room where these examinations occur has open doors at both ends, constantly admitting a draft. In the worst weather, we are often compelled to go down the river on a tender to inspect a vessel. Occasionally, we are obliged to climb onboard a steamer utilizing a primitive pilot ladder. In rain and storm, this practice is always connected with danger for persons not accustomed to such gymnastics, not to mention the soiled clothes.

The system adopted in Hamburg by this office and the Hamburg America Line enforces quarantine and immigration regulations to the best of our ability. Considering the local conditions, this system could not be simplified.

The required services must be performed outside of the office. The Hamburg America Line's particular desire, in the interest of prompt despatch of its steamers, is that most of these services be performed outside of office hours. The company has repeatedly expressed its willingness to pay the consulate a reasonable remuneration, which we have always refused. We have never accepted any payment from the company beyond the old fee of $1 per manifest, which charge was discontinued immediately upon receipt of instructions from the Department of State.

Otto W. Hellmrlch,.Deputy Consul-General, Hamburg, Germany

The Hamburg America Line: A Critical Gateway in the Immigration Process

For teachers, students, genealogists, and family historians, Inspection of Emigrants by the Hamburg America Line (1903) offers a rare and essential glimpse into the rigorous pre-departure inspections of European emigrants before they reached Ellis Island. This meticulously documented report from Deputy Consul-General Otto W. Hellmrich highlights the intensive medical screenings, quarantine measures, and bureaucratic oversight that shaped the immigrant experience.

If you are researching immigrant ancestors from Russia, Austria-Hungary, or other European nations, this article provides firsthand insights into the journey before arrival in the United States—an often-overlooked but crucial piece of the immigration story.

 

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Why This Article is a Must-Read for Immigration Researchers

✔ Unseen Side of Immigration – The Hamburg America Line wasn’t just a transport company; it played a major role in screening, quarantining, and inspecting emigrants before they ever left Europe.

✔ Exhaustive Medical and Legal Inspections – From disease control at Russian border stations to baggage disinfection and police checks in Hamburg, emigrants faced multiple layers of scrutiny before being allowed to sail.

✔ Tracing Your Ancestors’ Journey – If your family history includes immigrants from Russia, Poland, Galicia, Austria-Hungary, or Germany, this article reveals the specific routes, procedures, and challenges they encountered before arriving in America.

✔ Ellis Island Begins in Europe – The U.S. consulate in Hamburg played a direct role in rejecting unfit emigrants to avoid deportations from Ellis Island, showing how immigration control started long before U.S. soil.

 

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Key Highlights from the Article

1. The Three Categories of Emigrants Processed in Hamburg

Emigrants were divided into three classes, each with its own set of regulations and inspection procedures:

• (A) Russian Emigrants – Passed through stringent control stations at the Russo-German border, where they were bathed, their clothing disinfected, and placed under medical observation before continuing to Hamburg.
• (B) Austro-Hungarian Emigrants – Faced medical inspections at control stations in Ratibor or Myslowitz, but were not subject to quarantine or forced disinfection like Russian emigrants.
• (C) Other European Emigrants – Entered Hamburg freely without passing through control stations, often lodging in licensed emigrant boarding houses.

2. The Rigorous Health and Quarantine Measures in Hamburg

• Emigrants from Russia were quarantined in the Hamburg America Line’s emigrants’ barracks, divided into “dirty” and “clean” sections.
• Medical examinations took place daily, with an official government surgeon overseeing health conditions before emigrants could proceed.
• If a contagious disease like measles or smallpox was detected, the affected individual was immediately hospitalized, and further disinfection measures were enacted.

3. The Final Medical and Police Inspections Before Departure

Before boarding the ship, emigrants had to pass three final checks:

• Medical examination – Each emigrant was stamped as “medically examined” if they passed.
• Baggage inspection – Personal effects were disinfected and labeled per U.S. Quarantine Regulations.
• Police screening – Officers prevented the departure of military deserters, criminals, human trafficking victims, and underage emigrants without parental consent.

Those deemed unfit were sent back to their home country, ensuring that only those likely to be admitted into the U.S. were allowed to board.

4. The Hamburg America Line’s Role in U.S. Immigration Control

• The company worked closely with the U.S. consulate to enforce American immigration laws before departure, reducing Ellis Island deportations.
• Rejected emigrants were turned away at multiple checkpoints, including border stations, the Hamburg medical barracks, and final embarkation screenings.
• The company refused to sell tickets to those unlikely to pass U.S. inspections, showing how private steamship companies played a major role in immigration enforcement.

5. The U.S. Consulate’s Hands-On Oversight

• American officials personally attended medical exams, reviewed manifests, and ensured compliance with U.S. immigration law.
• The U.S. Deputy Consul-General had to inspect steerage compartments, hospitals, and sanitation conditions aboard every departing ship, sometimes under hazardous conditions.
• This meticulous process kept out thousands of unfit passengers and ensured only admissible immigrants arrived in America.

 

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Who Should Read This Article?

🔹 Teachers & Students: Offers an unprecedented look at how European emigrants were inspected before arriving at Ellis Island, perfect for classroom discussions on immigration history.

🔹 Genealogists & Family Historians: Essential for those tracing German, Russian, Polish, Austrian, or Hungarian immigrant ancestors, explaining why many immigrants had multiple inspections before departure.

🔹 Public Policy & Immigration Scholars: Highlights how private companies like the Hamburg America Line enforced U.S. immigration laws, setting a precedent for modern border control practices.

🔹 Researchers of Jewish & Mennonite Emigration: Reveals why Jewish and Mennonite emigrants were the only groups allowed to leave Russia officially, while others had to escape in secrecy.

 

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Final Thoughts: A Critical Piece of the Immigration Puzzle

While many focus on Ellis Island as the primary checkpoint for immigrants, Inspection of Emigrants by the Hamburg America Line (1903) proves that immigration enforcement began in Europe—long before immigrants ever saw the Statue of Liberty.

📖 This is an indispensable resource for anyone studying immigration history, tracing family roots, or understanding the policies that shaped America’s immigrant experience.

🔎 Dive into this detailed historical account and uncover the untold story of how emigrants were prepared, inspected, and approved for their journey to the United States!