Most of the immigrants who came were from Europe. The immigrants' journey was difficult starting from their own country. Many times, they had to separate from their families. They had to constantly check the dates when the ship was coming, and get there as early as possible because getting a ticket was not easy. The ticket was very expensive for many people because most of them lived in poverty. Also, often times the port was hundreds of miles from their homes, so some people had to walk for weeks to get to the seaport, while others took horses and trains to get there. 

 

The ship was divided by social class and ranking (Have you ever watched the movie "Titanic"? The richer people got to ride in the more comfortable and luxurious areas of the ship in staterooms and cabins. Most people had to sleep and ride in the section of the ship called the "steerage". The steerage was smelly, over-crowded, and unsanitary. In the winter months, it was unbearably cold, and in the summer months, it was stuffy and hard to breathe. The ship ride lasted a few weeks! Imagine enduring that!