United States, Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports - FamilySearch Historical Records: Difference between revisions

}}

   

This is a card index to passengers arriving at 70 ports along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts for the years 1820 to 1874. New York City is excluded from this index.  

Ship captains kept lists of passengers to manage their finances and prevent stowaways. Later, immigration laws increased the need for passenger lists, which grew in detail. Eventually the Federal Government began to store immigrant documentation. These lists were first created to keep track of a captain's shipment and paying passengers. Later, they became a means to document immigration to the United States. Although generally reliable, passenger lists were handwritten, causing possible spelling errors.  

{{Collection_Browse_Link

Image:Index to passenger lists of Vessels Arriving at Atlantic and Gulf coast ports 004882056 05185.jpg|Passenger List Index

</gallery>  

Information found in most immigration passenger lists include:  

When you have located your ancestor’s in the index to passenger arrivals to the Atlantic and Gulf Ports, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.  

*Continue to search the index and records to identify other relatives.  

*Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

*Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.  

Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image. <br>