IMMIGRATION RECORDS - Mesa FamilySearch Library

Schematic
diagram
of a
country
and its
population
centers
Emigration & Immigration
Emigration (Exit)
Immigration (Come In) 2

Who, What, Where and
Why Did They Leave?
3

Waves of Immigrants
•Ther e ar e mor e than one hundr ed differ ent ethnic
backgr ounds among America‟s population today.
•Not every gr oup came to America at the same time.
•Ther e ar e some general historical tr ends that may affect the
dir ection of your r esear ch.
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Historical Immigration Trends
•1500's - 1776: Colonial Period - English, African, Spanish,
French, Dutch, German, Welsh, Finnish, Scottish, and Scotch-
Irish.
•1776 - 1820: Continuation of same groups but in decreasing
numbers due to international wars and early attempts at
immigration restriction.
•1820 - 1880: Catholic Irish, German, Norwegian, Swedish,
Danish, Chinese, Japanese, French Canadian.
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•1880 - 1920: Italian, Polish, Austrian, Czech, Slovak,
Yugoslav, Romanian, Russian, Hungarian, Greek, Arabs,
Jews and Japanese.
•1920 - 1945: German, Italian, Polish, Czech, British, Irish,
Canadian and Mexico - also refugees from Nazi Germany.
•1945 - today: Canadian, Mexican, Central & South
American, Caribbean, Korean, Vietnamese, Laotian,
Cambodian, Middle Easter Arab, Soviet Jewish
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Why did they come?
Push Factors: Conditions in the homeland are
pushing them to leave
· Religious persecution
· Economic hardship
· War, mandatory military conscription
· Had no choice - for ced to leave; slaves, convicts,
r eligious non-conformists, etc
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Pull Factors: Conditions in the
new country ar e pulling them to a better
life
· Availability of land
· Jobs
· Religious fr eedom
· Family who had alr eady
immigrated encouraged others to join
them in America
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They came on ships
•In 1620, it took the Mayflower sixty-six days to cross the
Atlantic.
•By the 1840‟s, the average length for sailing ships fr om the
British Isles was five to six weeks. W ith those fr om the
Eur opean continent taking a week or so longer.
•After the Civil War, the majority of immigrants arrived on
steamships. Voyage time fell initially to about two weeks and it
continued to decline into the twentieth century.
•Steamships r emained the primary means of travel until after
World War II.
•Most immigrants now arrive by airplane.
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What were conditions like?
•Over crow ding
•Seasickness
•Disease ridden
•Inadequate pr ovisions
•Unsafe drinking w ater
•Bad w eather
•Poor navigation
•In 1818, out of 5,000 passengers w ho sailed from Antw erp to America, about 1,000 died.
• Fr om one Eur opean port mor e than 700 of 1,267 passengers aboard one ship died from
“Ship Fever”
• 500 passengers died in a fire on the Austria in 1858.
•In 1847, 17,000 immigrants died of typhus aboard ship or in quarantine shortly after
arriving in America.
•43 ships failed to reach their North American destination betw een 1847 and 1852.
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First Class and Second Class
•Private accommodations
•Upper-most decks
•Nice dining halls
•Attendants for passenger assistance
•Upon arriving in America – passengers were inspected onboard ship.
Steerage / Third Class
•Dorm-like accommodations
•Little, if any, privacy
•Lowest decks
•Limited restroom facilities
•Often expected to furnish own food
•Usually debarked ship for processing in America
•Ellis Island processed only steerage passengers
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The exits: Where Europeans boarded the ships to America
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Immigration
The exits: Where Europeans boarded the ships to America
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Port History
•New York: New York was not always the leading
port, even though it was established by the Dutch
in 1625. It was not until the Erie Canal opened
in 1825 that New York became the busiest port of
entry. Over 80% of immigrants arrived in
America through Castle Garden then Ellis
Island.
•Boston: Founded in 1630, Boston was the
leading trading and passenger port from the
colonial period until 1750.
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•Baltimore: Baltimore, founded in 1729, is
the best protected deep water port and closest
East Coast port to the Midwest. Inspectors
boarded ships at the mouth of the
Chesapeake and completed inspections on
board as the ship sailed north to Baltimore.
•Philadelphia: Founded in 1682, Philadelphia
rivaled Boston and for a short time was a
leading port of immigration until New York
rose to prominence. During the Irish potato
famine, Philadelphia failed to establish
adequate shipping lines to receive the influx
of immigrants and fell behind the other major
ports.
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•New Orleans: Founded by the French in
1718 and controlled by Spain from 1762 until
sold to the United States in 1803 as part of
the Louisiana Purchase. Once it became a US
port New Orleans grew to the fourth largest
city in the United States by 1840. Travel up
the Mississippi River made New Orleans the
best way to access America's western
interior. The Civil War brought an abrupt
end to New Orleans heyday and it never
regained its postion among the major ports.
Besides US ports, many immigrants arrived at
Canadian ports, especially Quebec City and
Halifax – then just crossed the border into the
United States
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US Customs & Passengers
Lists began in 1820
Before 1820
• American colonies made no effort to require lists of
immigrants
•Before Revolutionary War there was no federal
government to request these lists
•Most immigrants were considered cargo – not passengers
•Travelers recorded fellow passengers in diaries, journals
and letters home
•Cargo manifests & lists have been found in archives,
museums, personal papers, bars & attics
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What is Filby‟s Passenger
and Immigration Lists Index?
Updated annually, the "Passenger and Immigration Lists Index,
1500s-1900s" was compiled by P. William Filby and published by Gale
Research. Many refer to this important work simply as „Filbys‟
Prior to 1820, most ships coming to America did not keep
documentation of who was on board. Many individuals traveled to their
destination on uncomfortable, rat -infested cargo ships -- usually only five, ten,
maybe thirty passengers suffered through the trip together. Because of this,
finding documentation of your ancestors' journey to pre -1820 America can be
almost impossible.
That's why Filby‟s Passenger and Immigration List Index proves such an
invaluable resource. Thousands of different records have been used to compile
this index, everything from original passenger lists to personal diaries.
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After 1820
•Federal Government began to regulate immigration
•Official lists of passengers were required
•Some cities, states, port officials and shipping lines also
kept records
•Passengers lists before 1880 rarely give immigrant‟s town
of origin
•Children who immigrated with parents were often not
included on earliest lists
•No official lists were kept until the late 1800‟s for border
crossings from Canada & Mexico
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82% of Immigrants came
through New York
•Did your immigrant really arrive through Ellis Island?
•Many people have come to believe that arriving through New
York meant arriving through Ellis Island…not true.
•Before August 1855 - wharfs of Manhattan
•Castle Garden: August 1, 1855 - April 18, 1890
•Barge Office: April 19, 1890 - Dec. 31, 1891
•Ellis Island: January 1, 1892 - June 13, 1897
•Barge Office: June 14, 1897 - Dec 16, 1900 (Ellis Island office
burned and had to be rebuilt)
•Ellis Island: December 17, 1900 -1924
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Ellis Island 1892-1924
1905
photo
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The Great Hall of Ellis, sometimes called the “Hall of Tears”
•Doctors looked for signs of sickness or infirmity
•Families could be separated as inspectors accepted some and rejected others
•Important to create impression one could make a living in America
•98% passed all inspections – 2% w ere rejected and deported
•5,000 new immigrants a day w ere processed during peak years
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Finding them on a Passenger List
To search for an ancestor on a passenger list
•Determine full name
•Approximate date of arrival
•Approximate age
•Likely port of arrival
If the year of arrival is unknown and they were still living in
early 1900‟s, try searching the 1900, 1910, 1920 and/or 1930
census – as they each have a „Citizenship‟ column and ask the
year of immigration to the US.
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If they were not alive in 1900, try
to find the immigration year in:
•Family records
•Vital records
•On tombstone
•Court records
•Military records
•Passports
•Voting registers
•Ethnic church records
•County histories
•State census
Land records – government land entry files
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NATURALIZATION
THE LEGAL PROCESS THAT GIVES AN
IMMIGRANT THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP
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NATURALIZATION BRINGS
GREAT ADVANTAGES
The privilege of voting – includes the opportunity
to run for government office (except President and Vice
President), women received the right to vote in 1920 with
the 19 th amendment to the Constitution.
The right to own property – was very important
as the land was being settled. The Homestead Act of 1862
provided a special incentive for foreigners to become
citizens because it specified that only U.S. citizens, or
immigrants who had filed a declaration of intention to
become citizens, could own land.
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Civil rights – The new citizens had freedom of
speech, religion and freedom of assembly.
Protection of the law
New responsibilities – New
citizens are required to serve on
juries, pay taxes and obey the laws
of the country.
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NATURALIZATION RECORDS MAY
PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION
SUCH AS:
IMMIGRANT‟S NATION OF ORIGIN
BIRTH DATE
DATE AND PORT OF ARRIVAL
PLACE OF RESIDENCE
NAMES & AGES OF FAMILY
OCCUPATION
FOREIGN AND
AMERICAN NAMES
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Some immigrants changed their names to be “more American”.
Some names were changed inadvertently when errors were
made by those recording the information.
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REQUIREMENTS FOR
NATURALIZATION HAVE CHANGED
THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ARE:
RESIDENCY IN THE COUNTRY FOR
FIVE YEARS
GOOD MORAL CHARACTER
AN OATH OF LOYALTY OR
ALLEGIANCE
KNOWLEDGE OF GOVERNMENT,
HISTORY AND LANGUAGE
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HISTORICAL CHANGES
The basic law was amended 20 times between 1790
&1906 and another 20 times between 1906 & 1940.
•Pre-1790 British immigrants were automatically citizens of the
colonies. Some of the colonies had their own naturalization laws.
After the Revolutionary War, the individual states established their
own naturalization laws.
•1790 The first Federal law for naturalization required 2 years in
the U.S. and 1 year in the state where naturalized. No declaration of
intention was required.
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•1795 The law required a declaration of intention, residency
of 5 years (1 year in the state where naturalized), good moral
character, and oath of allegiance. It became the cornerstone
for future naturalization laws.
•1798 the most stringent law was created. It required 14
years of residency but that law didn‟t last long.
•1802 the government returned to the 1795 requirements.
•1906 the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization was
created. Federal agency controls all procedures. An Alien
Registry was required.
•1952 The Declaration of Intention became voluntary.
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•2001 The Child Citizenship Act: became effective on
February 27. It amended the Immigration and Nationality
Act (INA) to provide automatic U.S. citizenship to certain
foreign-born children-including adopted children-of U.S.
citizens:
At least one parent or legal guardian had to be a U.S.
citizen.
•Orphans with a full and final adoption abroad or
adoption finalized in the U.S.,
•Biological or legitimated children,
•Certain children born out of wedlock to a mother who
naturalizes
•Adopted children meeting a two-year custody
requirement
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75,000
BECAME
CITIZENS
The law also provided automatic citizenship
to children born to U.S. citizens while abroad
and out of the U.S.
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GROUPS GRANTED CITIZENSHIP BY
LEGISLATION OR TREATY
1803 LOUISIANA PURCHASE
1819 FLORIDA
Included Mississippi & Alabama
1845 TEX AS
1867 ALASKA
1870 AFRICAN AMERICANS, 14 th AMENDMENT RIGHT TO
VOTE
1900 HAWAII/1917 PUERTO RICO /1927 VIRGIN ISLANDS
1924 NATIVE AMERICANS
COLLECTIVE
NATURALIZATIONS
2001 CHILD CITIZENSHIP ACT - no papers will be found
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BASED UPON CITIZENSHIP OF ANOTHER OR SERVICE
PERFORMED:
WOMEN
DERIVATIVE
CITIZENSHIP
FROM 1790 TO 1922 A WOMAN TOOK THE
CITIZENSHIP OF HER HUSBAND – DISCONTINUED IN
1922
AN ALIEN WOMAN WHO MARRIED A U.S. CITIZEN
AUTOMATICALLY BECAME A CITIZEN.
AN AMERICAN WOMAN LOST HER CITIZENSHIP IF
SHE MARRIED AN ALIEN EVEN IF SHE NEVER LEFT
THE U.S. SHE THEN HAD TO BE NATURALIZED TO
BECOME A CITIZEN AGAIN.
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CHILDREN
1790 – 1940 CHILDREN UNDER 21 AUTOMATICALLY
BECAME CITIZENS WITH THEIR FATHERS
1824 – 1906 MINOR ALIENS LIVING IN THE U.S. FIVE
YEARS BEFORE THEIR 23 rd BIRTHDAY COULD FILE
DECLARATIONS AND PETITIONS AT THE SAME TIME
ALIENS OVER 21 WHO
PERFORMED MILITARY SERVICE
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ALIENS SERVING
IN MILITARY
TAKING OATH
CAMP UPTON,
NEW YORK 1918
Act of 9 May, 1918:
Provided for immediate naturalization of soldiers
No Declaration of intention needed
No proof of residence needed
No certificate of arrival needed
Naturalized at camps and nearby courts
May 1918 – June 1919, 192,000 naturalized
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NATURALIZATION
PROCESS
1. DECLARATION OF INTENTION - CALLED
THE “FIRST PAPERS” BECAUSE FROM 1795 UNTIL 1952,
COMPLETING THIS FORM WAS THE FIRST STEP TO
BECOMING A CITIZEN. NOW THE DECLARATION IS
ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY.
2. 2 nd PAPERS - PETITION FOR
NATURALIZATION
3. OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
4. CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION
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LOCATING RECORDS
When searching for Naturalization records
remember:
Immigrants have never been required to
apply for citizenship
Some immigrants chose not to apply
Not all who started the process
completed the process
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DEVELOP A TIME & PLACE
SEQUENCE FOR THE IMMIGRANT
ANCESTOR
Immigrants may have filed papers in
several locations
They may have started the process as soon as they got off
the boat
They may have waited until they settled
They may have waited until late in their life
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Many other Places to Look
•STATE CENSUSES
•OLD CITY DIRECTORIES
•LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES
•VITAL RECORDS
•CEMETERY RECORDS
•LAND RECORDS
•RELIGIOUS RECORDS
•MILITARY RECORDS
•SOCIAL SECURITY RECORDS
•SHIP PASSENGER LISTS
•NEWSPAPERS
•LOCAL HISTORIES
•ETHNIC HISTORIES
•OBITUARIES
•OCCUPATIONAL RECORDS
•INTERNET
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OTHER EVIDENCE OF
COMPLETED
REQUIREMENTS
COURT RECORDS
MILITARY RECORDS
PASSPORTS
VOTING REGISTERS
HOMESTEAD RECORDS
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To know where to look it is
important to know which
naturalization laws were in effect
•Before 1906 an alien could be naturalized in
any court. After 1906 an alien was naturalized
in Federal Court.
•Keep in mind that old records were often
moved from courts that originally issued them.
•Some courts store records off site. A telephone
call, letter, e-mail, or check of the World Wide
Web site of a court or an archives before a visit
is wise.
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1900-1930 FEDERAL CENSUS – help us
locate our ancestors and establish a time line. 1900 through
1920 census schedules have Citizenship Columns using the
codes below:
• Al – alien
• Pa - had applied but did not complete process
• Na – naturalized
• Nr – not reported
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973
P4s
Call Number
Includes state, county, and territory
records, resources, addresses and
phone numbers, and suggested
reading lists.
Entries are alphabetical by state. A
section for US territories and
possessions and one for Native
Americans follow the state listings.
Guide to Naturalization Records
of the United States
by Christina K Schaefer - 1997
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