In this course, we discuss how to trace your immigrant ancestors to the United States. This includes the various immigration and naturalization sources, such as passenger arrival lists that are available, and how to use these records.
Other sources and strategies for documenting immigrants are explored.
Historical background about immigration to the US as it is relevant to genealogy is given.
Course Content
Module 1
Historical Background & General Resources
Introduction
Historical Background
• Timeline with Internet Links
Research Guides for Immigration Research
• Reference Material
Ethnic-Specific
• British
• German
• Irish
• Italian
• Jewish
• Polish
• Welsh
• Oryx American Family Tree Series
General Websites for Immigration History & Research
Module 2
Strategies For Researching Immigrants & Their Origins
Type 1: Only the Country of Origin is Known
sing Family Traditions
• Finding Books in Print
• Online Sources
Observing Migration Patterns
Documenting the Immigrant's Life as a Whole
Immigration Information in American Censuses
Researching the Extended Family
Tracing Associations with Friends & Neighbors
Tracing the Immigrant Ancestor's Descendants
Identifying Intermediate Countries of Migration
Using Foreign Records in Select Cases
How to Interpret a Country of Origin
• Poland
• German Empire (1883)
Type 2: You Know a County, District or Region of Origin
More Research Abroad May be Needed
Researching All Branches of the Family Abroad
Using County or Region Based Sources & Centres
Records Usable With a Known County or District
Inventories of Compiled Genealogies
• Smith's Inventory
• PERSI
• Surname Interest Lists
Alternate Research in the United States & Abroad
Type 3: Specific Place of Origin (Place Name) is Known
Pinpointing a Place Name
Internet Sources for Place Names in Particular Countries
• General
• Britain
• Canada
• Eastern Europe
• Ireland
• Germany
• Poland
• United States
Published Place Name Finding Aids
Record Sources in the Country of Origin
Module 3
Documenting An Ancestor's Immigration
Websites on Passenger Arrivals
Passenger Arrival Lists
The Importance of Passenger Lists
Colonial Arrival Lists
• Published Colonial Immigrant Lists
Books on Ships
Passenger Lists on the Internet
• Ancestry.com
• Genealogy.com
• Ellis Island
How to Find A Passenger List
What Is The Immigrant's Most Likely Port of Entry?
• Port of New York
• Ellis Island Research
• New York City Passenger List Indexes
Canadian Passenger Lists
• InGeneas.com
Module 4
Canadian Border Crossing, U.S. Passport, Foreign Departure & Emigration Records
Canadian Border Crossing Records
United States Passport Records
• Regular Passport Applications
• Location of Passport Records
Foreign Departure & Emigration Records
• General Resources
• Germany
• Bremen, Germany
• Hamburg, Germany
• Britain & Ireland
• England
• Ireland
• Scotland
Module 5
Naturalization Records
British Colonial Naturalization Records
• Colonial Naturalization Law
• Colonial Naturalization Procedures After 1740
• Locating Colonial Naturalization Records
United States Naturalization, 1777-1789
• Oaths of Allegiance
• U.S. Naturalization Law 1790-1906
• Which Courts Could Naturalize
• Age & Gender
• Post-1906 Immigration Procedure
Types of Naturalization Records
Major Sources: Naturalization Laws, Procedures, and Records
• How Do You Know if Your Ancestor was Naturalized?
• Location of Records
• Indexes to Naturalization Records
• Alien Registrations
• Naturalization Records for Particular States
Naturalization Records Online
• Ancestry.com
• Footnote.com
• Italiangen.org
National Archives Contact Information
Module 6
Ethnic Sources, Socueties & Newspapers
Introduction to Ethnic Sources
Ethnic Immigration Reference Works
• Basque
• Czechs
• Chinese
• Danish
• English
• Ethiopians
• Finns
• Germans
• Hungarians
• Irish
• Italians
• Jewish
• Luxembourgers
• Poles
• Portuguese
• Russians
• Scots
• Slovaks
• Swedes
Societies
• Identifying a Society
• Locating Society Records
Ethnic Societies
• Major Repositories
• Ethnic Society Examples
• Irish Ethnic Societies
• Charitable Societies
• Fraternal Societies
Society Addresses
Ethnic Newspapers
"Information Wanted" Ads
Immigrant Banks in America
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