Finding Your Immigrant
Ancestors
Who were they ? Did they
immigrate alone or with family or friends ?
Where did they originate
from ? When and where did they come into this country ?
Are there family stories
or records about where they sailed from ? What ship were they on ?
Are there family stories
about their experiences on the ships ?
Are there family bibles,
letters, or any geographical information about the family
left behind in the old
country ?
What traditions does
the family preserve from the old country ?
Names, recipes, customs,
costumes , language ?
All these can be used
as clues in finding your ancestors.
If your Family is of
the Polish descent you should not be looking under Irish immigrations.
Ellis Island
If your ancestors immigrated between
1892 and 1924
It is likely you will find them here.
~Ellis Island~
Today you can visit Ellis Island situated
at the Port Of New York.
The immigrants had put their signatures
on the wall, which can be viewed there.
To see if your Ancestor was among the
millions who came through this Port visit
the online site ~ Wall Of Honor~
Castle Garden
Situated at the southern tip of Manhattan,
millions of people immigrated
between August 3, 1855 and April 18,1890
~Castle Garden~
Angel Island
Located in the San Francisco Bay area
this was a major Port
1910-1940 for Pacific Ocean immigrations,
mainly Asian.
~Angel Island~
Read "Chinese In The Frontier West
"
Canadian Immigration
This is a very large and informative
site.
Many of our Ancestors landed in Canada's
Ports
New York was also a major Railroad hub
that offered access to nearly
every part of the country.
The purpose of having these Immigration
Centers, was to protect the
new immigrants from crooks, prostitutes
and swindlers.
Putting them safely within the walls
of the centers, they could exchange
money, purchase food and railroad tickets,
get their baggage
and obtain employment and housing information.
~Riding The Rails Of America's
Past~
Other Great Offsite Links
Germans To America Free Cd Look-Ups
German To America Holdings Libraries
1850-1893
The Path To Naturalization Records
Sources Of Surnames
About Naturalization
In order to find naturalization
papers for your ancestors, you need to know when they arrived
in this country. Passenger
lists, census records, land records, family papers, and county tax lists
are some of the sources
that can help you establish an arrival date.
Ancestors arriving in
this country before the American Revolution generally did not go through
a naturalization process;
in fact, many were already British citizens who were simply changing
their residence within
the British empire. Before the first naturalization law in 1790, the
states handled the process
on their own.
The first step toward
becoming a naturalized citizen was to file a Declaration of Intention.
Before 1906, an immigrant
could file his " first papers " at any federal, state or local court.
Many did this in their port
of entry soon after arrival. After 1906, the Declaration usually
was filed
in federal court, sometimes
in a state or county court.
The second step was
to file "final papers" which included a Petition for Citizenship
, an Oath of
Allegiance, and papers proving
residency for the required number of years. Which was generally
five years. These papers
did not have to be filed in the same court as the Declaration of Intent.
The process was complete
when the court issued the Certificate Of Naturalization.
These Naturalization records contain valuable
genealogical information, such as the subject's birth date and place,
the spouse's name and origin, children's names
and birth information, former and current residences, and
immigration data. Other information may include
occupation and physical description.
Records from the late 19th and 20th centuries
generally contain more detail than earlier records.
