Classroom Resource: Annie Moore and the Life of the First Ellis Island Immigrant
Ellis Island has become the symbol of the United States as an immigrant nation. For millions of Americans, from 1892 until it closed in 1954, it was where their immigrant ancestors entered the United States.

A contemporary drawing of Annie Moore
Our colleagues at Listenwise write, “Immigration built our nation, immigrants peopled it, and their descendants remember their immigrant past with pride. But few Americans know what their ancestors went through. Navigating Ellis Island was the final hurdle immigrants faced before becoming American and starting their next big journey.”
The story of Annie Moore has come to symbolize the experiences of immigrants at Ellis Island. She was the first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island when it opened on January 1, 1892. We know that she came to the United States from County Cork in Ireland, but what happened to her after that? Listen to find out.
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A passenger arrival list that includes Annie Moore. US Customs (National Archives) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons