Part I-Immigration
Research Strategies
Research Approach
Historical Background of Immigration
Causes of Immigration
Immigration Process
Research Strategies
Identify The Immigrant
Full Name-including confirmation name, middle name
A date (birth date preferably)
Specific place of origin (town or parish) where immigrant lived prior to immigration
Relatives, especially parents
Family Stories, traditions and heirlooms
Religion
Ethnicity
Name Changes
Identify Date and Place of Naturalization
Identify Date and Place of Departure from old country
Identify Date and Place of Arrival
1900, 1910, 1920 Census has year
Children’s dates and place of birth on census
Use timelines to determine arrival date and place
Immigrants often lived in city of arrival before moving on
Identify Name of Ship
Ship name sometimes remembered in family lore
Identify Reason for Immigrating
knowing religion, ethnicity and approximate time of immigration may unveil reason for immigration
Identify Original place of Origin
Birth or residence prior to immigration
RESEARCH APPROACH
Family and Home Sources
Organizing and evaluating material for clues
Individual, relatives of immigrant, contacts
Previous Research
See what has been done on immigrant groups, religion, occupations, places of known residence
Local and Online Resources
Libraries, archives, societies in area and ethnic societies, church, cemetery
Immigration Sources
Citizenship papers, passenger lists, immigrant aid societies, passports, oaths of allegiance, military, court records
Federal Records
Tracking Relatives and Neighbors
Localize the surname
Directories
Local Records
Local Histories
Reading Place Name
Terminology
Place Name Changes
Spelling
Multiple places with same name
Places that are not towns of origin
IMMIGRATION
Historical Background
Since 1607, some 57 million immigrants have come to America
Approximately 10 Million passed through on their way to another place OR returned to their original homeland.
Net gain in population 47 Million.
1907 immigration peak year at 1,285,349
Between 1607 and 1790 early European immigration was mostly from Britain
England, Scotland, Ulster Ireland, Southern Ireland and Wales
Largest number of immigrants were forced immigrants from Africa
Approximate Immigrants Prior to 1790
|
Country |
Immigrants |
|
Africa |
360,000 |
|
England |
230,000 |
|
Ulster |
135,000 |
|
Germany |
103,000 |
|
Scotland |
48,500 |
|
Ireland |
8,000 |
|
Netherlands |
6,000 |
|
Wales |
4,000 |
|
France |
3,000 |
|
Jews |
2,000 |
|
Sweden/Finland |
500 |
1820-1855 Irish largest group of immigrants
20% Germans, mainly from Prussia
Before 1885 most Europeans were from north of the Alps and west of the Elbe River
After 1885 large numbers of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, mostly Jews.
Largest number of immigrants was from Italy and Russia
Most immigrants in latter 19th Century concentrated in urban centers
1910 Russian immigrants were 20% of foreign population of New York State and 25% of New York City
Austrian 12% New York City
Hungarian 14% New York City
Italian 17% New York State, 18% New York City
25% of foreign born population of New York City arrived within previous 5 years
Causes of Immigration
Involuntary
Slavery, Famine, War, Pestilence, Natural Disaster, Cultural or Religious Persecution
Voluntary
Better way of life, follow a friend, job, inheritance, new opportunities
Immigration Process
Tickets
Emigration agents, church or ship agent
Indentures-Contracts
Indentured servants or Redemptioners
The Journey
Conditions on ship
Length of voyage
Governmental rules and regulations
Early voyage from Germany 1750
Down Rhine to Rotterdam or Amsterdam
To Cowes or Isle of Wight, England
7-12 weeks to North America
Part II-Passenger Records
US Customs Passenger Lists 1820-1905
Immigration Passenger Lists 1883-1945
Border Crossings
Published Lists and Indexes
Alien Registrations
Passports
|
Colonial Lists US Customs Passenger Lists 1820-1905 Immigration Passenger Lists 1883-1945 Border Crossings Published Lists and indexes New York-Castle Garden and Ellis Island Indexed Ports Baltimore 1820-1897; 1897-1952 Boston 1848-1891, 1902-1906, 1899-1940 New Orleans 1853-1899, 1900-1952 Philadelphia 1800-1906-1883-1948 Alien Registration Required 1802-1828 and in 1929 Report and registry of Aliens 1798-1828 Contained name, birthplace, age, nationality, allegiance, country of emigration. The alien had to report each move to the local court. The court attached a note to the alien’s certificate and made a note in the registry Problems with records Listed by Port, then by year, then by date, then by ship Writing often illegible Names often misspelled Hamburg Passenger lists 1850-1934 (except 1915-1919) Nearly 1/3 people who emigrated from central and eastern Europe during this time are on these lists Passports First known passport-1790 1840’s passports became popular 1930’s US Government issued 2.5 million passports To receive a passport one had to submit proof of citizenship 1888 different applications for native citizens, naturalized citizens and derived citizens passports before 1925 microfilmed Passports after 1925 at US State Department |
Part III-Naturalization Records
Naturalization-granting of citizenship rights to aliens as if they were natural born. Art I, Section 8, Clause 4 of US Constitution authorized the formation by Congress of a “uniform rule of naturalization”
Colonial Period-few naturalizations. Non-British gave oaths of allegiance to the colony in which they resided.
Prior to Fourteenth Amendment (1868) all citizenship was considered to be with a State, not the Nation.
The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed national citizenship and extended it to all persons born or naturalized in the US subject to its jurisdiction. This excluded tribal Indians, natives of unincorporated territories and children of foreign ambassadors
Prior to 1906 one could be naturalized in any court of record.
After 1906 the Bureau of Naturalization and Immigration created and became the jurisdictional dominant force in the naturalization process. Naturalizations are now conducted on the Federal level in about 200 Federal US District Courts (about 75%) and in about 1800 state district or territorial supreme courts.
Naturalizations that occurred in Federal District Courts may now be located in the National Archives. Naturalizations that occurred in state or other courts likely remain in that court.
In 1973 INS sent a letter to all courts lifting the ban on reproducing naturalizations. Non certified copies are now available to researchers
Types of Citizenship
Natural Born
Derived through a parent or spouse
Naturalized
Collective
Other?
Naturalization Process
First papers/Declaration of Intention-applicant renounces allegiance to former sovreign or government. Usually done at least 2 years prior to other documents in naturalization process May not give declaration if person served in military or was a minor.
After 1906 has much more information such as applicant’s name, age, occupation, personal description, citizenship, date and place of birth, US and last foreign address, vessel and port of embarkation to the US and port and date of arrival in US, date and signature
Petition for Naturalization-formal applications for citizens that they met requirements for citizenship and all the information stated above. After 1930 there is often a photograph included in the file.
Depositions of Other in support or against the naturalization
Today there is optional INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) investigation as well as Department of Homeland Security involvement
Final Hearing
Oath of Allegiance
Certificate of Naturalization issued
Naturalization Caveats
Not everyone naturalized-women, minors, collective naturalizations
1890-1930 estimated 25.7% were not naturalized
Naturalization
The granting of citizenship rights to aliens as if they were native born
Basic Requirement for Naturalization
Be of good character
Residency
2 years in US-1 year in State
5 years in US-1 year in state where naturalized
14 years in US
American Colonial Period
Most immigrants were British citizens
Aliens gave oath of allegiance to Crown before crossing Atlantic
New States and Territories
Collective naturalization
Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization created 1906
Women and Children-derivative citizenship
Military Service
African Americans
Native Americans
Information found in Naturalization records
Part IV-Sources for Documenting Immigrants
Passenger Lists
1) Customs Passenger Lists 1820-1905
original lists 1820-1902
Copies and abstracts 1820-1905
2) Immigration Passenger Lists 1893-1950’s
have much more information than customs passenger lists, particularly after 1906
Most microfilmed, some indexed. Now many digitized and searchable on Ancestry.com and on the Ellis Island website
Few passenger lists prior to 1820
Problems:
Must know port and date of arrival, name of ship is helpful
Lack of good records
Lack of good and comprehensive indexes
Possible multiple entries by immigrant
Passports
US Passports 1791-1905 at National Archives
Passports not required during that period except during the Civil War.
Passport applications 1810-1905 bound and at National Archives
Where family immigration/migration information may be found:
Family Histories
Local Histories and Biographies
Periodicals
Library and Archive collections
Foreign collections in US Libraries and Archives
Census Records
Vital Records
Ecclesiastical Records
Cemeteries
Mortuaries/Funeral Homes
Newspapers-articles and obituaries
Societies
Historical Societies
Immigrant Societies
Fraternal Organizations
City Directories
Immigration Records
Passenger records
Emigration lists
Permits to emigrate
Port of departure lists
shipping company records
Published lists
Indentures-Slavery
Letters of manumission
Sales of Property
Databases-Ancestry, Ellis Island, Olive Tree, IGI, Footnote.com, etc
Ellis Island
Olive Tree
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/index.shtml
Steve Morse Immigrant Finding Aids
Ancestry Learning Center-Free Guides (Download these)
http://www.ancestry.com/cs/HelpAndAdviceUS
See especially:
Major US Immigration Ports
Ethnic and Religious
Immigration
10 Things to know about Passenger Lists
Black Sheep
Naturalization
The Source e Book: https://www.ancestry.com/wiki/index.php?title=Overview_of_Immigration_Research
Finding Passenger Records 1820-1940-Joe Beine
http://www.germanroots.com/passengers.html
Galveston Passenger Records-Joe Beine
http://www.germanroots.com/galveston.html
Internet Ships Transcribers Guild
http://www.immigrantships.net/
Genealogy Articles, Tips & Research Guides by Joe Beine
http://www.genealogybranches.com
Guide To Published Sources of Immigration-Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/bib_guid/immigrant/
The Great Oceanliners http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com
Lists of Ships (from Steve Morse) https://stevemorse.org/ellis/shipslist.php?ship=
Manifest Extraction Forms
Women and Naturalization records-Prologue
http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1998/summer/women-and-naturalizati on-1.html
Married to an Alien-Michael john Neil
http://www.rootdig.com/adn/4944.htm
Multi-Cultural America (see individual groups)
http://www.everyculture.com/multi/index.html
Migrations Database
Naturalization Records-US and Canada
http://naturalizationrecords.com/
Maryland Archives Immigration-Naturalization Records
http://guide.mdsa.net/viewer.cfm?page=naturalization
Swedish Emigration
Search Google for: emigrantregistret.s.se
Guide To Emigration Records-Scotland
http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/emigration-records
German Immigration
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/passage.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_American
http://www.loc.gov/rr/european/imde/germchro.html
Scots-Irish Immigration
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mcclell2/homepage/ulster.htm
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mcclell2/homepage/migrate.htm
http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/magazine/articles/iha_scotsus1.htm
Some Naturalizations
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/passports1829-87a.shtml
Jamestowne Settlers
http://www.jamestowne.org/chronology-1606-1700.html
Virtual Jamestowne-Indentures and Contracts
http://www.virtualjamestown.org/servantcontracts.html
Immigration Experience
http://members.tripod.com/~L_Alfano/immig.htm
Ellis Island Research
http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/
Library of Canada Upper Canada Databases
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/Pages/browse-product-type.aspx
Immigrant Name Changes-Donna Przecha
http://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/88_donna.html
Introduction to Immigrant Investigations
http://www.genealogy.com/articles/learn/102_course1.html
http://www.genealogy.com/articles/learn/102_course2.html
Immigrant Name Changes
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rwguide/lesson8.htm?cj=1&o_xid=0001029688& o_lid=0001029688
Canals
http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/canal/index.html
American Rivers and Waterways
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gentutor/rivers.html
American Migration Patterns
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gentutor/migration.html
Historic Highways Timeline
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maggieoh/highway.html
Developing Your Research Skills-Index of Articles
http://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/