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Immigration Records Tips
Family History Center Locations
All good genealogists should know the location of the Family History Center nearest them! Use this search engine from FamilySearch to find your local FHC.
Find a Family History Center Near You
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New York Genealogy
Do you reside in New York? Are you just plain curious about the history or genealogy of the state? Who were the first people to live in New York, who first explored the state?
New York is another state rich with history and genealogy. Did you know that Samuel de Champlain explored the Northeastern part of New York in 1609?
In 1624 the Dutch settled in New York for 40 years and governed the colony referred to as New Netherland. In 1625 the Dutch purchased Manhattan Island from local Indians. Almost 40 years later the Dutch Colony of New Netherland was conquered by the English and renamed New York.
In 1776 New York declared its independence from Great Britain and became one of the 13 original states of the Federal Union.
Ellis Island eventually became where immigrants from all over the world passed through on their way to the United States, and where later generations searched immigrant records for information about their own ancestors. New York thus became a melting pot of cultures and people.
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Tips for Ancestry Searching
If your ancestor is a naturalized United States citizen who immigrated to the U.S., try exploring the various ships that your ancestor may have sailed over on. If you have a passport and the date it was issued, you can request, for free under the Freedom of Information Act from the state department in Washington DC. You will need to prove that your ancestor is deceased. You will also need the passport applicant's name, passport number, year of birth, date of naturalization, place of residence, year of travel and your name, mailing address and telephone number. This request will take a bit of time to process, so be patient!
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History of Ellis Island & Finding Immigration Records
Before you begin to research whether or not your ancestors game to the U.S. via Ellis Island, you should learn a little something about the history of the Island, and how the immigration process worked.
Check out these sites to learn more:
Ellis Island: Doorway to Dreams
A Present from the Past: An Ellis Island Experience
Ellis Island - 1892
Ellis Island and the History of Immigration to the United States
Immigration: Ellis Island History
The Immigration Experience
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African-American Research Resources
The Library of Michigan maintains a large collection of resources that relate to African-American genealogical research. Titles may be located through ANSWER, the Library´s online catalog.
You´ll find this wonderful resource here:
African-American Research Resources at the Library of Michigan
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Finnish Emigrant Register
To help in the genealogical research of your Finnish Ancestors, be sure and check out their immigration records referred to as ´The Emigrant Register,´ established in 1989 as a service for genealogists and the descendants of Finnish emigrants. Enquiry forms are available from the Institute of Migration. The fee for a successful enquiry is 100 FIM or about US $25.
Immigration Institute
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Missing Women´s Passports
According to the NARA, approximately 95 percent of mid-19th century passport applicants were men. Many women also traveled overseas, however, but often there is no trace of their passports. Why?
Until the latter part of the nineteenth century, if a male passport applicant was going to be accompanied by a woman - be it his wife, child, servant, sister, mother, or any female under his "protection", the names, ages, and relationship of the females to the male applicant were stated on HIS passport application. One passport was then issued to cover the entire group.
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New York Genealogy
Ellis Island is probably the most famous entry way for immigrants coming to the United States, but official passenger lists from the U.S. government exist from 1820 to 1945 for most ports in the country. The lists are available in the National Archive on microfilm and at some public and geneological libraries. The Family History Library has locations throughout the country, where this information is also available. Passenger lists from before 1820 are housed in various museums and archives through the country.
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Mayflower Passenger List
If you´re trying to find out if one of your ancestors was on the Mayflower, check out the following Mayflower Passenger List:
Mayflower Passengers
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History of Ellis Island & Finding Immigration Records
Although many immigration records, including those from Ellis Island, are available online, every genealogist will eventually need to visit a library or archive in search of these and other records.
The place to start is with your own local library! Find the main libraries in your town or region and become familiar with their historical and genealogical sections. You´ll be amazed at how much information even the smallest local library has or can obtain via interlibrary lending.
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Local History & Genealogy Reading Room
Among the LOC´s many wonderful resources is the ´Local History and Genealogy Reading Room´.
This collection includes books, monographs, CD-ROMS, a ´vertical file,´ and many internet-based subscription services.
The library is located at: Thomas Jefferson Building, Room LJ G42 101 Independence Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20540-4660 Map showing location
The hours of operation are: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday and Federal Holidays: Closed
