Topics Covered in this Class:

Immigration and Emigration Records

Passenger Lists

Crew Lists

Border Crossings

   Naturalization Records

            Passports

Ships, Pictures and Descriptions

 

Immigration, Passenger Lists and Emigration Books

Immigration records can fill in crucial details of your history. Start with passenger records to understand your ancestors’ trip to America, then search for passports and naturalization documents to learn more about their lives once they arrived.

Research Tips:

• Search for your ancestors by name, narrowing the search with their age, dates of arrival, ports of departure or arrival, or country of origin.
• Keep in mind that your immigrant ancestor may not have used the English version of his or her given name and that the surname may also have ethnic variants. This is most likely to be the case in records created when he first immigrated (e.g., passenger arrivals). Learn the ethnic equivalents and try searches in the immigrant’s native language.
• Learn about pronunciation in your immigrant ancestor’s native language. In some cases clerks may have recorded the name as they heard it.
• Try searching for other variations of your ancestor’s name in case it was spelled incorrectly. Wildcards can be used to search for name variants. Click here to learn more about wildcards.
• When you find an immigration document, it’s important to look at the original image, which may contain information such as the name and address of the immigrant’s nearest relative, their intended destination in their new country, or names of other relatives traveling with them. If you find a record in an index collection or a transcription that is not linked to the actual record, follow the link to “Learn more about this database” to find out how to order the original record.
• Be sure to note and research the names of witnesses and fellow passengers from the same place in immigration records. They were often relatives, employers, or friends from the immigrant’s previous home. Tracing these individuals in census, directory, or immigration records may help you learn about your ancestor’s life before and after they arrived in their new country.
• If your immigrant ancestor in the U.S. was alive after 1900, locate them in the 1900, 1910, 1920, or 1930 census and look for immigration and naturalization details that can help narrow your search.

 

Finding Immigration Records

https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Finding-Immigration-Records

 

US-Searching-Passenger-Lists

https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/US-Searching-Passenger-Lists

 

Crew Lists

U.S. crew lists are primarily from the twentieth century, although a few date to the late 1800s. Related records that are also included in this category may go back even farther. For example, the collection of Indexes to Seamen’s Protection Certificate Applications and Proofs of Citizenship includes records from the period between 1796 and 1861.

Crew lists may include both American and alien crew members.

They can include details such as age, nationality, name of the vessel, shipping line, crew position, length of service, whether they were to be discharged at the port of arrival, literacy, race, height, and weight. These records are sometimes combined with passenger lists.

 

Border Crossings

Immigrants traveling to North America typically found better rates on ships sailing to Canada, making it an appealing route to the United States. Until 1894, there were no U.S. immigration records created for immigrants coming to the U.S. through Canada. In addition to the cheaper fares, many immigrants avoided U.S. immigration screening and hassles by choosing the Canadian route. In 1895 the U.S. government closed this loophole by requiring Canadian steamships and railroads to complete manifest forms and only provide transportation to U.S. destinations to immigrants that would have been allowed to enter the country via other U.S. ports.

Mexican border crossing records begin in 1903, and include aliens and some citizens crossing from Mexico into the U.S. through 1957. A variety of record types are included in this collection, with varying degrees of information.

Search Tips

• Border crossing and passport records may cover more than one page. If you find a record, view the original image (on Border Crossings, note the line number your ancestor is on), then use the arrow keys to view the next page to make sure you’ve seen all the pages.
• Search for your ancestors by name, narrowing the search with their age, dates of arrival, ports of departure or arrival, or country of origin.
• Keep in mind that your immigrant ancestor may not have used the English version of his or her given name and that the surname may also have ethnic variants. Learn the ethnic equivalents and try searches in the immigrant’s native language.
• Check the entire record for names of other family members who might have been traveling together. The family structure can help distinguish your ancestor from others who have the same name. Remember though that the family may not have traveled together. It was not uncommon for one or two members to come over first and then send for the rest of the family once they had secured work and a place to live.
• Learn about pronunciation in your immigrant ancestor’s native language. In some cases clerks may have recorded the name as they heard it.
• Try searching for other variations of your ancestor’s name in case it was spelled incorrectly. Wildcards can be used to search for name variants. Click hereto learn more about wildcards.
• When you find an immigration document, it’s important to look at the original image, which may contain information such as the name and address of the immigrant’s nearest relative, their intended destination in their new country, or names of other relatives traveling with them. If you find a record in an index collection or a transcription that is not linked to the actual record, follow the link to “Learn more about this database” to find out how to order the original record.
• If your immigrant ancestor in the U.S. was alive after 1900, locate them in the 1900, 1910, 1920, or 1930 census and look for immigration and naturalization details that can help narrow your search.
• On border crossing documents, be sure to note and research relatives’ names and those crossing with your ancestor who are from the same location as your ancestor. On passports, take note of the witnesses. These names may include relatives from the immigrant’s previous home or in their intended destination. Tracing these individuals in census. Tracing these individuals in census, directory, or immigration records may help you learn about your ancestor’s life before and after they arrived in their new country.

Passports

The U.S. government has issued passports to American citizens since 1789, albeit through several different agencies throughout the years. For the most part, passports were not required of U.S. citizens for foreign travel until World War I, but immigrants wishing to visit family in the old country were among those who often applied for passports to make it easier to re-enter the country on their return.

Border crossing records and passports can be rich sources of information on your immigrant ancestors.

In border crossings, you can find details similar to those found on passenger arrival records. Passports can provide birth details, names of relatives, and affidavits, as well as naturalization and immigration details, where applicable.

About U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925

Passport applications from 1795–1925 are contained in this database including emergency passport applications (passports issued abroad) for the years 1877–1925; special passport applications (military, diplomats, civilian federal employees, and dependents), 1914–1925; applications for extension and amendment of passports, 1918–1925; applications for certificates of identity in Germany, 1920–1921; and applications for declarants 1907–1911 and 1914–1920. It also contains passport application registers for 1810–1817, 1830–1831, and 1834–1906. Passports issued March 4–5, 1919 (numbers 67500–67749) are missing from the NARA collection and not in this database.

Although there are passport records from multiple states in this database, specific state, U.S. territory, and U.S. possessions collections are as follows:

• California (1914–1925)
• Hawaii (1907–1925)
• Illinois (1914–1925)
• Louisiana (1914–1925)
• New York (1914–1925)
• Philippines (1907–1925)
• Puerto Rico (1907–1925)
• Washington (1914–1925)

About U.S. Passport Applications, 1795–1925

The U.S. government has issued passports to American citizens since 1789 through several different agencies over the years. For the most part, passports were not required of U.S. citizens for foreign travel until World War I, although they were mandatory for a short time during the Civil War (Aug. 19, 1861–Mar. 17, 1862). An Executive Order given in 1915 and a later act of Congress in 1918 established the passport requirement for citizens traveling abroad. This law lapsed with the formal termination of World War I and treaties with Germany, Austria, and Hungary in 1921. With the onset of World War II In 1941, the Congressional act of 1918 was reinstated requiring U.S. citizens to carry a passport for foreign travel as is required today.

Passport Applications

Passport applications can provide a wealth of information, including:

• Name of applicant
• Birth date or age
• Birthplace
• Residence
• Date of application or issuance of passport
• Father’s and/or husband’s name
• Father’s and/or husband’s birth date or age
• Father’s and/or husband’s birthplace
• Father’s and/or husband’s residence
• Wife’s name
• Date and place of immigration to the U.S.
• Years of residence in the U.S.
• Naturalization date and place
• Occupation
• Physical characteristics

To receive a U.S. passport, a person had to submit proof of U.S. citizenship usually in the form of a letter, affidavits of witnesses, and certificates from clerks or notaries. Sometimes these additional documents are included as part of the application as is a photo of the applicant.

Application Forms

There was a variety of passport application forms used throughout the years. By 1888 there were separate application forms for native citizens, naturalized citizens, and derivative citizens (children who become citizens through their parents’ naturalization). As a result, all of the above listed information may not be available for every applicant. Likewise, there may be additional information other than what is shown above on the application form; some information may only be obtained by viewing the image of the application.

Passport Application Registers

Passport application registers may provide:

• Date and number of application
• Name of applicant
• Age of applicant (1834–1849)
• Physical characteristics of applicant (1834–1849)

Citizenship and Naturalization Records

Before 1906, an alien could be naturalized in any court of record. Many immigrants, anxious to become citizens, began the citizenship process by taking out papers in the county where they first arrived in the United States. One might have started the process somewhere on the East Coast, for example, and then completed the requirements in the county or state when final residency was established somewhere else. This presents a challenge for family historians seeking the naturalization records of their ancestors. Fortunately, as more and more of these records are being made available online through collections like those on Ancestry, that search is getting easier. Even where the actual records are not available, indexes can lead us to the actual records.

Naturalization records can be rich in detail, providing the date of immigration and the ship, names, ages, and addresses of family members, birth information, current and past residences, signatures, and affidavits from witnesses.

The collection of naturalization and citizenship records on Ancestry includes indexes, and some indexes are linked to images of the actual records.

Search Tips

• The S. Censusrecords for 1900-1930 included questions about citizenship status. Entries in the “Naturalized” column can indicate a person’s progress toward citizenship. “NA” was written for naturalized citizens, while the entry “PA” might indicate that first papers (also called a “declaration of intent”) had been filed. “AL” indicates the immigrant had not yet begun the naturalization process. Additionally, the 1920 census asked the year of naturalization for immigrants who had naturalized.
• Naturalization records may include more than one page. If you find a record, view the original image and use the arrow keys to scroll to the next page to make sure you’ve seen all the pages.
• Be sure to note and research the names of witnesses on naturalization records. They were often relatives, employers, or friends from the immigrant’s previous home. Tracing these individuals in census, directory, or immigrationrecords may help you learn about your ancestor’s life before and after they arrived in their new country.
• Keep in mind that your immigrant ancestor may not have used the English version of his or her given name and that the surname may also have ethnic variants. Learn the ethnic equivalents and try searches in the immigrant’s native language.
• Try searching for other variations of your ancestor’s name in case it was spelled incorrectly. Wildcards can be used to search for name variants. Click hereto learn more about wildcards.
• Learn about pronunciation in your immigrant ancestor’s native language. In some cases clerks may have recorded the name as they heard it.
• When searching the Native American collections within this category, you’ll have better luck if you know the name of the person and the tribe.

About U.S. Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995

Introduction to Naturalization Records:

The act and procedure of becoming a citizen of a country is called naturalization. In the U.S., naturalization is a judicial procedure that flows from Congressional legislation. From the time the first naturalization act was passed in 1790 until 1906, there were no uniform standards. As a consequence, before September 1906, various federal, state, county, and local courts generated a wide variety of citizenship records that are stored in sundry courts, archives, warehouses, libraries, and private collections. After 1906 the vast majority of naturalizations took place in federal courts.

Naturalization laws have changed over the years. These acts are important to understand as they would have greatly impacted when your ancestor was able to become naturalized, as well as the exact process he or she had to go through to become a citizen. For example, some naturalization acts required residency in the U.S. for a certain number of years, some excluded certain ethnicities from being able to become citizens, and others helped expedite the citizenship process for those who served in the military.

The Naturalization Process:

The first responsibility for an immigrant wishing to become an official U.S. citizen was to complete a Declaration of Intention. These papers are sometimes called First Papers since they are the first forms to be completed in the naturalization process. Generally these papers were filled out fairly soon after an immigrant’s arrival in America. Due to some laws, there were times when certain groups of individuals were exempt from this step.

After the immigrant had completed these papers and met the residency requirement (which was usually five years), the individual was able to submit his Petition for Naturalization. Petitions are also known as Second or Final Papers because they are the second and final set of papers completed in the naturalization process.

Immigrants also took a naturalization oath or oath of allegiance. A copy of this oath is often filed with the immigrant’s first or second papers. After an immigrant had completed all citizenship requirements he was issued a certificate of naturalization. Many of these documents can be found in the records of the court in which they were created. Other naturalization records include naturalization certificate stubs and certificates of arrival. See further below for a description of these two documents.

Many immigrants took out their First Papers as soon as they arrived in America, in whatever county and state that may have been. Later they would file their Second Papers in the location in which they took up residence.

What’s Included in this Database:

This database contains indexes to naturalization records (primarily Declarations and Petitions) for various courts (primarily U.S. District and Circuit courts) and years. Indexes are lists of names, with the associated volume and page number, compiled from the records by the court where the file was located. Ancestry.com has begun posting original naturalization records here. However, this is a huge undertaking and many original records are still not available online. For this reason, if you find a name in this “Naturalization Indexes” database and are unable to locate your ancestor’s record in the database above, you will need to write for a copy of the original paperwork. The regional offices of the National Archives most often are the repository where the records are now located. This index will give you the information you need to obtain that copy, specifically – the person’s name, sometimes the certificate number, but almost always the volume and page number. Please see below for the address to write to with the information you obtain from the index.

Information Available in the Records:

The amount of information that is contained on each naturalization document varies widely between time and place. Generally speaking, most pre-1906 naturalization papers may contain little information of biographical or genealogical value. In the absence of standardized naturalization forms, federal, state, county, and other minor courts of record created their own naturalization documents, which varied greatly in format. There are, however, wonderful exceptions, and records created after 1906 usually contain significant genealogical information, making them well worth the search to locate them.

Pre-1906 Declarations and Petitions:

Pre-1906 Declaration and Petition records may list:

• Name of individual
• Native country
• Date of naturalization

Post-1906 Declarations:

Post-1906 Declarations could contain:

• Name of individual
• Address
• Occupation
• Birthplace
• Birth date or age
• Nationality
• Country from which emigrated
• Personal description
• Marital status
• Last foreign residence
• Immigration info – port of entry, date of entry, name of ship
• Date of Intention

Post-1906 Petitions:

Post-1906 Petitions may include:

• Name of individual
• Current address
• Occupation
• Birth date or age
• Birthplace
• Physical description – complexion, eye and hair color, height, weight, visible distinctive marks
• Current and former citizenship
• Marital status
• If married, marriage and spouse information – name of spouse, marriage date, marriage place, birthplace and date of spouse, date and place of spouse’s entrance to the U.S., current residence of spouse, whether the spouse was a naturalized citizen and if yes, where and when naturalized
• Children – number born to the individual, and/or their names and ages
• Where and when lawful admission for permanent residence in the U.S. took place
• Date of Intention
• Immigration info – date of immigration, country from which immigrated, last foreign residence, port and mode of entry, name of ship, date of entry
• Length of time in the U.S.
• Last foreign residence
• Date of Petition
• Photograph

A second part of the Petition consisted of an affidavit or witness. This section listed:

• Names of witnesses
• Witnesses’ addresses
• Witnesses’ sworn and signed statements of their knowledge of the applicant

 

Naturalization Oaths:
Post-1906 petitions were completed with a signed Oath of Allegiance. Some naturalization oaths survive in separate files in courthouses and archives; however, most of them were interfiled with petitions or final papers. The majority of naturalization oaths contain little detail.

 

Certificate of Naturalization:

After 1906, a certificate of naturalization was given to newly naturalized citizens, signifying their completion of the naturalization process and fulfilling of citizenship requirements. The amount of information provided on the certificate may vary greatly from one court to another and from one year to another. Most certificates contain only the name of the individual, the name of the court, and the date of issue. In some cases the certificate will also provide the citizen’s address, birthplace or nationality, country from which emigrated, birth date or age, personal description, marital status, and names of spouse and children.

Ship Pictures and Descriptions

These collections are searchable by ship name. The records in New York Port, Ship Images, 1851-1891 are linked to some of the ship passenger lists on Ancestry and can be searched by passenger name as well. Be aware that this database does not contain all of the names that are included in the passenger list collections; only those on ships that are linked to photographs are included.

Photographs add another dimension to our family history.

In this collection you may be able to find a photograph of the ship your ancestor took as he sailed to America. Some entries have descriptions of the ships as well, listing the type of ship, shipping line, builder, tonnage, dimensions, number of masts and funnels, ship history, and years in service.

Search Tips

• Search by ship name, and be aware that you may get multiple ships with the same name. It will help to know when your ancestor sailed on the ship so you can locate the correct image.
• These collections can also be browsed by date and ship name. When you browse you’ll be taken directly to the image. To get more descriptive information, go back to the search box and type in the name of the ship and then click on the name of the ship in the results.