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| Immigration and Naturalization Records [1] [2] Unless you are of Native American decent, your ancestors at one point or another immigrated to America from another country by choice or force. Some came voluntarily for economic, religious, or political reasons, others paid their way by exchanging years of labor for passage, food, and shelter. Those who arrived against their will were slaves, political prisoners, or felons. As you research a family, you will eventually discover those individuals who first travelled to America. Prior to researching immigration and naturalization records, learn as much as you can about the person you are researching in addition to understanding more about immigration trends and waves during your time period of interest. The more information you have the better change you have of locating these records. Records for immigrants fall in two main categories: passenger arrival lists from ships and naturalization records which were produced when immigrants applied for citizenship. Passenger Arrival Records The National Archives house these records and most have been microfilmed and are available at many locations across the country. There are additional online databases available for searching, see the Archives’ Immigration Records for more details. Colonial Passenger Lists Unfortunately there was no systematic way of recording immigrants from the colonial period, which is why many people conducting family research have such difficulty tracing their family to a particular country. Luckily nearly all of the colonial-era lists have been published and indexed. Check your local library or genealogical society to see what books are available. Customs Passenger Lists In 1819 laws required the ship’s master to provide a list of all the passengers on board to the custom’s agent, who reported to the Secretary of State. These lists range from 1820 to 1905 but are incomplete with some records being original, some copied or abstracted, and others transcribed. See Immigration Records (Ships Passenger Arrival Records) for details about what is available for particular states and years. Immigration Passenger Lists The Treasury Department took on immigration regulation beginning in 1882. Ship’s masters were required to submit a list of all immigrants aboard their ships to the local immigration officers. Microfilmed records from 1883 to the mid-1950s are available at the National Archives. How to Find Passenger Arrival Records Most of the records from the above lists have been indexed and are available on microfilm at the National Archives. In order to find your ancestor in these lists, you must know the port at which they arrived and the approximate date of their arrival. To see a list of immigration records available from 1800 to 1959 for ports around the country go to Immigration Records You might find clues to about an individual’s port of entry by examining letters, diaries, and census records from 1900 to 1920. Naturalization records may also provide information about date and place of arrival. You Might Learn: • When your ancestor arrived from Europe, Africa, Asia, Canada, or South America • Who a person travelled with during the journey • What someone looked like from a brief physical description • The name of the ship on which your ancestor sailed • How old your ancestor or other family members were at the time of arrival • If an individual or an entire family arrived on one ship • What country and regions a person came from • Which port someone left from and at which port he or she arrived • Who paid for the passage to America • An individual’s final destination upon arrival in the United States • A person’s occupation Where to Find These Sources • National archives • Published lists at local libraries, archives, or genealogical societies • County court records • State court records • State archives For more information, check out: Immigration Records - Introduction and Links and Resources at the National Archives Naturalization Records - Introduction and Links and Resources at the National Archives Immigration and Naturalization Links at Cyndi’s List Ships and Passenger List Links at Cyndi’s List All About Immigration and Migration at Genealogy.com Tracing Immigrant Origins Free Genealogy Classes at Genealogy.com |
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