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[Pages:2]Name________________________________________ Date ________________ CLASS __________

Primary Source Activity

Ellis Island Questionnaire

netw rks

Background

When immigrants finally arrived at Ellis Island, they had to submit not only to medical evaluations but also to personal questions about their lives, including their finances, occupations, families, and so on. The medical evaluations were initially quite basic. Doctors would make chalk marks on the immigrants' clothing to indicate general health issues. An EX meant that an immigrant should be examined more closely, a C indicated a possible eye condition, an S meant senility, and an X indicated insanity. Immigrants with chalk marks were directed into physical and mental examination rooms for further evaluation. After the immigrants finished their medical evaluations, they were asked a series of questions to determine whether they could be productive citizens.

Directions: The following document is part of a questionnaire administered to all immigrants at Ellis Island. Study the questionnaire and then answer the questions that follow.

Copyright ? The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

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Name________________________________________ Date ________________ CLASS __________

Primary Source Activity Cont.

Ellis Island Questionnaire

netw rks

Critical Thinking 1. Why was it important to know whether an immigrant could read

and write?

2. Why might the immigration agents be interested in who paid for an immigrant's passage and how much money the immigrant had?

3. Why do questions about being a polygamist or an anarchist seem out of place?

4. Immigrants were asked if they had family living in the United States. Why might this be important?

Copyright ? The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

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