On the Move

Migrations have occurred throughout human history for environmental, political, economic, or cultural reasons. People may leave a place voluntarily when their way of life is threatened by a food shortage, war, or natural catastrophe or to seek a better life. While most migrants only travel short distances, sites like Ellis Island commemorate the long, voluntary journeys human migrants in the United States made over time. Explore stories of human migration told in national parks.

Image: Transportation by Horses, Mules, Dogs and Bicycle [Between and 1927], Library of Congress