Before there was Ancestry.com, one of the ways that people used to search their heritage was to check the records of Ellis Island.  Now you can do that from home.

Have you ever wondered who the first people were to walk in this country with your last name?  How many generations ago was that?  Where did you come from?  There are so many questions that people have.  And there are so many answers available to people at Ellis Island.

It's where so many people came to become citizens in this great country of ours centuries ago.  It was the busiest immigration inspection station in the U.S.

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Unfortunately, the facility is actually closed to the public these days...but the records are still available.  And now, it's even more convenient.

You can search the database from the comfort of your own home.  All you have to do is go to their website.  You type in the first and/or the last name of the person or family you want to research and it will bring back all of the people who passed through those gates with that name.

You can also sign up for a free account that will allow you to bring up ship information and even a copy of the ship manifest.  It's pretty incredible.  If you've ever wondered where you came from, you should check it out!

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