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United States, Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports - FamilySearch Historical Records

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United States

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United States Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports, 1820-1874
CID1921756
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.

United States
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Record Description
Record Type Card Index to Passenger Arrivals
Record Group RG 36: Records of the United States Customs Service
Collection years 1820-1874
Microfilm Publication M334. A Supplemental Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Atlantic and Gulf Coast Post(Excluding New York), 1820-1874. 188 rolls.
Arrangement Alphabetical
FamilySearch Resources
Content Resources
Related Websites
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration


What is in This Collection?

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.

States and portscovered by this collection include:

  • Alabama:Mobile
  • Connecticut:Bridgeport,Fairfield,Hartford,New Haven,New London,Saybrook
  • Delaware:Wilmongton
  • District of Columbia:Georgetown
  • Florida:Key West,St. Augustine,St. Johns
  • Georgia:Darien,Savannah
  • Louisiana:New Orleans
  • Maine:Bangor,Bath,Belfast,Frenchmen's Bay,Kennebunk,Passamaquoddy, Penobscot,Portland,Falmouth,Waldboro,Wiscasset,Yarmouth
  • Massachusetts:Barnstable,Beverly,Boston,Charlestown,Digton,Edgartown,Fall River,Gloucester,Hingham,Marblehead,Nantucket,New Bedford,Newburyport,Plymouth,Salem
  • Maryland:Annapolis,Baltimore,Havre de Grace
  • North Carolina:Beaufort,Edenton,New Bern,
  • New Hampshire:Portsmouth
  • New Jersey:Bridgetown,Cape May,Little Egg Harbor,Newark,Perth Amboy
  • New York:Oswegatchie,Rochester,Sag Harbor
  • Ohio:Sandusky
  • Pennsylvania:Philadelphia
  • Rhode Island:Bristol,Warren,Newport,Providence
  • South Carolina:Charleston,Port Royal
  • Texas:Galveston
  • Virginia:Alexandria,East River,Hampton,Norfolk,Portsmouth,Petersburg,Richmond

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.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for United States, Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports, 1820-1874.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

  • Passenger's name [Given and Family Name]
  • Accompanied by
  • Age in years and months
  • Occupation
  • Country of origin [Nationality]
  • Last Permanent Residence [Town,Country,etc.]
  • Destination
  • Port of Entry
  • Name of Vessel
  • Date of arrival

Collection Content

Sample Image

  • 1853 Passenger List Index

    1853 Passenger List Index

Inventory

For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see United States, Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports - Inventory

How Do I Search This Collection?

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

  • The name of your immigrant ancestor
  • The approximate age of your ancestor
  • The date of arrival
  • The port of arrival
  • The names of other family members who may have immigrated with your ancestor

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.
  1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
  2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:
  1. Select Surname Range to view the images
Tip
 More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at United States Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports, 1820-1874. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

  • Add any new information to your records
  • Continue to search the index and records to identify other relatives
  • When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
  • You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination
  • Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

  • Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
  • Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
  • Search the indexes and records of other ports such as New York or Boston
  • Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals with the same family number

Research Helps

The following articles will help you research your family in the United States.

Other FamilySearch Collections

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

FamilySearch Historical Records

FamilySearch Digital Library

Known Issues

Click here for a list of known issues with this collection.

Citing This Collection

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.
Record Citation:
When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.
Image Citation:
When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.
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