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Anna Elisabeth Kurt's Childhood
I was born June 9th 1879 at 2:25am, in a little town called Patchworks in Germany. We weren't a rich family, we mostly lived on the street.I never owned a pair of shoes until I was 15, I wore overalls so I could steal food at the markets. Papa was never around, Mama cried at night.I dreamed of America. When I was 27 Pa was dieing of a disease, told me to move to America. I took my 8 year old boy along for the journey. We left to escape poverty, we wanted to gain a home. This is for my son. -
Coming to America, event 1
Everyone was rushing and shoving, I hold on tightly to my son. I think of my husband over in America. We are dirt poor, so we are sent to the bottom of the ship. Disease spreads amoung the people. I try to keep my son Axel safe. He has become sick and weak. I do my best to nurse him back to health. The ship is rocky making him even more sick. He has trouble falling asleep at night. I tell him how great America will be and he will be able to see his father. I say Axel look on the other side. -
Ellis Island, event 2
I take my son's hand entering Ellis Island with only the clothes on my back. The first step is to get examined by a doctor. They shove us into a room filled with immigrants. "Axel, Axel!" I yelled "He is gone, where are you, Axel!" I can't find him, I pushed and shoved past the people. "Axel!" I yelled again It was bright and cold, a doctor aproached me peeling open my eyelids. He quickly examines me and moves on. I am flushed out of the room. Panicked I sit down and breathe. Axel comes running -
Event 2, countinued
up to me saying "Where were you, I missed you." Laughing I said "I missed you to." I take his hand and we go through secerity, which was quick because we carried no bags. Soon after that we are exploring New York City. -
Settled in New York, event 3
Axel and I have settled down inNew York Manhattan. He now has a 2 year old little sister that he absolutely adores. We still live in poverty, but now that I can work in a sewing factory we make money. I can afford to buy a meal a day for the three of us to share. The checks from my husband have stopped coming, I am on the search to find him. Sunday evening around 7 whe I was playing with the kids a female walks up. She hold a small white envolpe, my eyes fill with tears. "I am sorry." she -
Event 3 continued
said. I can only manage to shake my head and take the envolpe. My husband has fallen off a steel structure 11 stories up, it has killed him. My son cried, bu my daughter Karolin is to small to understand. My family is falling apart one piece at a time. -
Event 4, continued
9th floor to their death. Ladders and hoses only reached the 7th floor. Girls couldn't get out through locked doors. Other doors could get opened by the girls in the front because the girls in the back pushed and shoved. Fire escapes collapsed. 146 girls died, most younger then 19. The clothing was perfect for the fire to build up. I was lucky to live. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, event4
It was another regular day in New York Manhattan, I still live in the alley with two kids. One boy 12 years old and a 5 year old girl. They stay in the alley and sometimes still from the grocery store. I work 6 days a week on the 8th floor. We were getting ready to leave on a Saturday when we saw smoke. We called the 9th and 10th floor. The phone didn't get through to the 9th floor. I escaped on the crowed elevator. I rember getting out of the building looking up and seeing girls from the -
Arrested for what? event5
The people of New York are outraged by immigrants. They say we took their jobs, but I believe it was simply business. I was walking down the same old street I have walked on for weeks going to the market. When all the sudden I have on handcuffs and am facing the side of his tall, black horse. He takes me downtown to the police station and puts me in a holding cell. I demanded why I was in here, but he raised the fee to get out. After 3 hours my aunt bails me out, but had to pay a fine.
