Were Steerage Passengers Allowed on Deck?

Steerage passengers were only allowed to roam various areas of the main deck. And nothing was more guaranteed to annoy a cabin passenger than a steerage passenger on the poop deck. The trespassers were often unceremoniously chased off!

What was the journey like for steerage passengers?

For immigrants who voyaged early, life in steerage was a horrific experience. The conditions were so crowded, dark, unsanitary and foul-smelling, that they were the single most important cause of America's early immigration laws, specifically the United States Passenger Act of 1882.

Where did passengers from steerage have to go once they were in America?

Only steerage passengers were processed at Ellis Island. First- and second-class passengers were quickly and courteously “inspected” onboard the ship before being transferred to New York. Steerage was enormously profitable for steamship companies.