how were imigrants allowed into the US before ellis island?

Answer 1

Well, we had a lot of space and needed people then, and there were no 'social services' like food stamps for children or aid to families with dependant children, or medicaid, so they looked at it differently.

In 1907 Teddy Roosevelt passed a law making it illegal for cretins, imbeciles, and the feeble minded to come, and before that prostitutes were banned, and at some point there was a law against the Chinese (not proud of that). Otherwise, I think there was sort of a free for all until things began to get crowded after the Great Wave. Then in the 20s they passed immigrant specific admission requirements with numbers I think we should go back to. That is when we became a middle class country and when the American Dream was born.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5871651411393887069

Answer 2

the same way, but in another building. ellis island was built simply because the numbers of immigrants were too large to continue using the same buildling, which was also located in new york.