[Research Guidance: United States - Research Outline] Research Guidance Version Of Data : 6/9/2001

EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION

The Tracing Immigrant Origins Research Outline (34111) can help you identify an immigrant ancestor's original hometown. It introduces the principles, search strategies, and additional record types you can use.

Nearly fifty million people have immigrated to America. Significant patterns of immigration and settlement can be observed during three periods:

Pre-1820. An estimated 650,000 individuals arrived in America before 1820. The majority (60 percent) were English and Welsh. Smaller numbers of German, Irish, Scotch-Irish, Dutch, French, Spanish, African, and other nationalities also arrived. For the most part these immigrants settled in small clusters in the eastern, middle-Atlantic, and southern states.

1820-1880. Over ten million immigrants came from northern Europe, the British Isles, and Scandinavia during these years. There was a significant increase in the number of immigrants from Germany and Ireland beginning in the 1840s and 1850s. While some of the new arrivals settled in large eastern and mid-western cities, most migrated to the midwest and west.

1880-1920. More than twenty-five million immigrants, primarily from southern and eastern Europe, were attracted to this country. The largest numbers (in order) came from Germany, Italy, Ireland, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and England. Many of these immigrants settled in the larger cities, including New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

An in-depth description of colonial and federal immigration lists is:

Tepper, Michael H. American Passenger Arrival Records: A Guide to the Records of Immigrants Arriving at American Ports by Sail and Steam. Updated and enlarged. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1993. (FHL book 973 W27am 1993; computer number 634356.)

Finding the Country and City of Origin

Records that generally provide the country of origin include the U.S. censuses beginning in 1850, biographies Look this term up in the glossary. , death records, obituaries, naturalization declarations or petitions, pre-1883 passenger lists, and military records. These records do not usually list the exact town that the ancestor came from.

Before you can effectively search the records of another country, you need to know the name of the city or town your immigrant ancestor came from. Clues about an ancestors' town of origin are found in various sources, including diaries Look this term up in the glossary. and other records in your family's possession. You may find the town of origin in family and local histories, church records, obituaries, marriage records, death records, tombstones, passports (particularly since the 1860s), passenger lists (particularly those after 1883), and applications for naturalization.

Passenger Arrival Records

Passenger arrival records can help you determine when an ancestor arrived and the ports of departure and arrival. They can also be used to identify family and community members who arrived together as well as the country they came from.

Pre-1820 Passenger Arrival Records

To find passenger arrival records for immigrants arriving before 1820, you must rely on printed sources. These include published lists of immigrants' names taken from newspapers, naturalization oaths Look this term up in the glossary. , indenture lists, headright grants, and other records. These types of records are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under one of the following:

[STATE] - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION[STATE], [COUNTY] - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION[STATE], [COUNTY], [TOWN] - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION

An excellent index of over 2,500,000 names found in more than 2,500 published sources is:

Filby, P. William. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 15 vols. Detroit: Gale Research, 1981-. (FHL book 973 W32p; computer number 75625.) The first three volumes are a combined alphabetical index published in 1981. Supplemental volumes have been issued annually. There are also cumulative 1982 to 1985, 1986 to 1990, and 1991 to 1995 supplements. This does not index official U.S. arrival lists (see below) or manuscript sources, but it does index the names of many people who immigrated between 1538 and the 1900s and who are listed in post-1820 published sources.

Passenger Arrival Records Beginning in 1820

If your ancestor arrived after 1819, he may be listed in one or more of the following. These lists are in chronological order by the date of arrival, and the lists for one year may be on as many as twenty microfilms. Some of the lists are indexed.

Customs Passenger Lists, 1820 to 1902. These are lists that were submitted by the masters of ships to U.S. customs officials upon arrival in the United States. Customs passenger lists include each immigrant's name, age, sex, occupation, country of origin, and country or place of intended destination.

Immigration Passenger Lists, since 1883. These lists, also known as �ship manifests Look this term up in the glossary. ,� were submitted by the masters of ships to the Immigration and Naturalization Service and its predecessors. In addition to the same information found in the customs passenger lists, you may find the exact birthplace or last residence, marital status, previous U.S. residence, place of destination, and the names of relatives in the �old country� and in the United States.

The National Archives has the customs and immigration passenger lists and indexes from 1820 to the 1950s. These are described in Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives (see the �For Further Reading� section of this outline). You can request a search of the records at the National Archives with form NATF 81 Look this term up in the glossary. .

The Family History Library has copies of over 12,000 microfilms of passenger arrival records and indexes from the National Archives Look this term up in the glossary. . The following is a list of the major ports and years for which National Archive microfilm records are available. The approximate number of immigrants admitted from 1820 to 1920 is in parentheses after the name of the city. The film numbers of these records are most easily found in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under [STATE], [COUNTY], [TOWN] - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION.

Following is a guide to the most significant collections at the Family History Library. Use the FHL computer number Look this term up in the glossary. to find the collection in the Family History Library Catalog on computer. Use the National Archives number when working at National Archives branches.

New York City (23,960,000)

Indexes

1820-1846

FHL computer number 15681

1897-1902

FHL computer number 92040

1902-1943

FHL computer number 92040

Lists

1820-1897

FHL computer number 15681

1897-1942

FHL computer number 92040

Boston (2,050,000)

Indexes*

1848-1891

FHL computer number 217426

1899-1940

FHL computer number 92077

Lists

1820-1873,1884-1891

FHL computer number 217426

1891-1943

FHL computer number 92077

Baltimore (1,460,000)

Indexes*

1820-1897

FHL computer number 218234

1897-1952

FHL computer number 175219

1833-1866

FHL computer number 175226

Lists

1820-1921

FHL computer number 216036

Philadelphia (1,240,000)

Indexes*

1800-1906

FHL computer number 216604

1883-1948

FHL computer number 175209

Lists

1800-1882

FHL computer number 216604

1883-1921

FHL computer number 175209

New Orleans (710,000)

Indexes*

1853-1952

FHL computer number 216594

Lists

1820-1921

FHL computer number 216594

*Also see the Supplemental Index described below.

Other Ports (4,000,000). Lists and indexes for Charleston, Galveston, Key West, New Bedford, Passamaquoddy, Portland (Maine), Providence, San Francisco, Seattle, and other ports are also at the Family History Library and the National Archives.

A collection of the lists of over 60 smaller ports is found in:

United States. Bureau of Customs. Copies of Lists of Passengers Arriving at Miscellaneous Ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. . . . Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1964. (FHL films 830231-46; computer number 216254.) These lists range from 1820 to 1874, but most years are missing.

An index to the above lists is:

United States. Bureau of Customs. Supplemental Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Atlantic and Gulf Coast Ports . . . .Washington, D.C.: National Archives Record Services, 1960. (FHL films 418161-348; computer number 216582.) This also indexes lists for Baltimore (1820-1869), Boston (1820-1874), New Orleans (1820-1850), and Philadelphia (1820-1874).

Ship Arrival Records

If there is no index to the lists you need, but you know the name of the ship and the year of arrival, the following ship arrival records may help you select the specific film to search. These list the name of the ship and the exact date of arrival.

Morton Allan Directory of European Steamship Arrivals: for the Years 1890 to 1930 at the Port of New York and for the Years 1904 to 1926 at the Ports of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore. 1931. Reprint, Genealogical Publishing, 1980, 1987. (FHL book 973 U3m; fiche 6046854; computer number 30102.) This lists the names of vessels and the dates of arrival by year and by steamship line.

United States. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Registers of Vessels Arriving at the Port of New York from Foreign Ports, 1789-1919. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service, 1980. (FHL film 1415143-69; computer number 132219.) These records from the National Archives list the names of vessels and the dates of arrival in alphabetical and chronological arrangements.

Other Published Sources

There are published transcripts and indexes for some ports and dozens of ethnic groups. For example, the Family History Library has lists of:

Baltimore arrivals from 1820 to 1834

Philadelphia arrivals from 1800 to 1819

Irish arrivals at New York from 1846 to 1852

Dutch arrivals from 1820 to 1880

German arrivals from 1850 to 1888 (ongoing series)

These sources are generally found in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under one of the following:

[STATE], [COUNTY], [TOWN] - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATIONUNITED STATES - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION

Over 2,500 other published sources are listed in:

Filby, P. William. Passenger and Immigration Lists Bibliography, 1538-1900, 2d ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. (FHL book 973 W33p 1988; computer number 482522.) Arranged by author and title. Includes index by place-names, nationalities, naturalizations, occupations, religious groups, military units, ship's name, prisoners, or indentured servants.

Canadian Border Crossings, 1895-1954

Lists of passengers crossing the Canadian border to the United States were collected into this record: Manifests of Passengers Arriving in the St. Albans, Vermont District. In spite of the title, this collection includes records from all over Canada and the northern United States (not just St. Albans). These are the records of U.S. immigration officials who inspected travelers at the following places:

At all Canadian seaports and emigration stations (including major interior cities such as Quebec, Winnipeg, etc.). Officials used shipping company passenger lists (manifests) to determine passengers bound for the United States via Canada.

At U.S. train arrival stations in all border states (from Washington to Maine).

The records may give this information:

�Name�Port or station of entry�Date�Literacy�Last residence�Previous visits to United States�Place of birth

Border Crossing Lists. These records are in the Family History Library. They are in two series, as shown below:

Manifests of Passengers Arriving in the St. Albans, Vermont, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1895-1954. (608 rolls; FHL films 1561087-499; computer number 423848.) From seaports and railroad stations all over Canada and the northern United States.

Manifests of Passengers Arriving in the St. Albans, Vermont, District through Canadian Pacific Ports, 1929-1949. (25 rolls; FHL films 1549387-411; computer number 423848.) In transit to the United States from Canadian Pacific seaports only.

Manifests for Pacific and Atlantic ports provide two types of lists: the traditional passenger lists on U.S. immigration forms and monthly lists of names of aliens crossing the border on trains. These monthly lists are arranged by month, then alphabetically by name of port, and then by railway.

Border Crossing Indexes. In many cases, the index cards are the only record of the crossing. Four publications index the records:

Soundex Index to Canadian Border Entries through the St. Albans, Vermont, District, 1895-1924. (400 rolls; FHL films 1472801-3201; computer number 423848.)

The Soundex Look this term up in the glossary. is a coded surname index based on the way a name sounds rather than how it is spelled. Names like Smith and Smyth have the same code and are filed together.

Soundex Index to Entries into the St. Albans, Vermont, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1924-1952. (98 rolls; FHL films 1570714- 811; computer number 423848.)

Alphabetical Index to Canadian Border Entries through Small Ports in Vermont, 1895-1924. (6 rolls; 1430987- 92; computer number 423849.) Arranged first by entry station, and then alphabetically by surname. From Vermont ports of entry only: Alburg, Beecher Falls, Canaan, Highgate Springs, Island Pond, Norton, Richford, St. Albans, and Swanton.

Card Manifests (Alphabetical) of Individuals Entering through the Port of Detroit, Michigan, 1906-1954. (117 rolls; FHL films 1490449-565; computer number 432703.) Michigan ports of entry only: Bay City, Detroit, Port Huron, and Sault Sainte Marie.

Passports

Passports were not required of U.S. citizens before World War I Look this term up in the glossary. , but many were issued to those traveling abroad. Passport applications usually provide the names, ages, places of residence, and personal descriptions of individuals intending to travel outside the United States. They sometimes include the exact dates and places of birth and arrival in the United States.

The Family History Library has collections of passport records and indexes from the National Archives including:

United States. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Passport Applications, 1795-1924; Indexes, 1830- 1831, 1850-1852, 1860-1925. Washington, D.C.: Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1985. (On 2,090 FHL films starting with 1429876; computer number 437973.)

Other passport records and indexes are listed under computer numbers 559568, 558985, and 627535. They are also listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under UNITED STATES - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION. Later records are generally restricted and are in the custody of the U.S. Department of State.

Emigration Records of Europe

The major European ports of departure in the nineteenth century included Liverpool, LeHavre, Bremen, Hamburg, and Antwerp. Most emigrants after 1880 came through Bremen, Hamburg, LeHavre, Liverpool, Naples, Rotterdam, and Trieste. Some countries kept records of their emigrants Look this term up in the glossary. (individuals leaving the country). For example, the Family History Library has the Hamburg passenger lists and indexes:

Hamburg. Auswanderungsamt. Auswandererlisten, 1850-1934 (Emigration Lists, 1850-1934). Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1964, 1975. (On 486 FHL films starting with 884668; computer number 11064.)

The library also has a few records for other ports. These are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under [COUNTRY], [COUNTY], [TOWN] - EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION.

A list of emigrants from Russia, Poland, Finland, and the Baltic states is found in:

Records of the Russian Consular Offices in the United States, 1862-1928. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986. (On 169 FHL films starting with 1463389; computer number 449311.)

The following is an index to the above work:

Sack, Sallyann Amdur. The Russian Consular Records Index and Catalog. Garland Reference Library of Social Science, v. 392. New York: Garland Publishing, 1987. (FHL book 973 D22s; film 1605681; computer number 453886.)

Return to top of page

Previous Document Next Document

�1998, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
[FamilySearch^TM: Research Guidance
Version of Data: 6/9/2001]