For all the disagreement we hear today about immigration from Mexico and Asia, migration issue have been argued from one corner of this country to the other for well over a hundred years. Between 1880 and 1890 the foreign-born population was twice that of the native population. Most of the new immigrants came from Europe. The mass migration period, lasting into the early 20th century is just one part of the immigration story of America.
Choosing the best search methods and resources for finding and uprooting records for your ancestor’s arrival in America depends in large part on when they arrived. Did they arrive in Colonial times, or during the mass European migration period, or more recently? American Passenger Arrival Records by Michael Tepper provides some answers to your key research questions. The book examines the types of records kept over the years, how they changed and where to find them.
The book also looks at changes in laws and reporting practices. Major ports are reviewed and consideration is given for those coming through some of the minor ports and across the border from Canada. Almost every U.S. resident has ancestors who came through one port or another. American Passenger Arrival Records provides the information needed, with plenty of sources, for researching your ancestor’s arrival records, making the book another must have reference for almost any home or family history library.
Table of Contents
Preface
1 The Colonial Period
- Immigration Records
- Emigration Records
- Published Guides
2 The Beginning of Federal Passenger Arrival Records
3 Customs Passenger Lists
- Background
- Characteristics and Limitations
- Original Lists
- Copies and Abstracts
- State Department Transcripts
- Records at the Principal Ports of Entry
- Boston
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Baltimore
- New Orleans
- Other Ports
- Where to Find the Records
- Table 1: Customs Passenger Lists in the National Archives
4 Immigration Passenger Lists
- The Beginning of Mass Migrations
- Immigration Legislation
- The Passenger Lists
- Boston
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Baltimore
- New Orleans
- Canadian Border Entries
- Table 2: Immigration Passenger Lists in the National Archives
Appendices
- Appendix A: The Hamburg Emigration Lists
- Appendix B: Checklist of Passenger List Publications
Get a copy of American Passenger Arrival Records from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: GPC8700.