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Tracing Immigrants Search Strategies (view source)
Revision as of 10:21, 15 August 2008
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[[Portal:Tracing Immigrant Origins| | [[Portal:Tracing Immigrant Origins|Portal:Tracing Immigrant Origins]] ► Part 1. Search Strategies<br>[[Tracing Immigrants Introduction|◄ Return to Introduction]] | ||
Successful researchers follow a series of steps as they conduct research. This section describes the steps to take to find an immigrant's place of origin. | Successful researchers follow a series of steps as they conduct research. This section describes the steps to take to find an immigrant's place of origin. | ||
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*<div>All jurisdictions that may have kept records about him or her (town, church, county, state, and federal).</div> | *<div>All jurisdictions that may have kept records about him or her (town, church, county, state, and federal).</div> | ||
Most record types described in this portal are original records, such as “[[Tracing Immigrants Arrival Church Records|Church Records]],” “[[Tracing Immigrants Arrival Emigration and Immigration|Emigration and Immigration]],” “[[Tracing Immigrants Arrival Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization]],” or “[[Tracing Immigrants Arrival Vital Records|Vital Records]].” | Most record types described in this portal are original records, such as “[[Tracing Immigrants Arrival Church Records|Church Records]],” “[[Tracing Immigrants Arrival Emigration and Immigration|Emigration and Immigration]],” “[[Tracing Immigrants Arrival Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization]],” or “[[Tracing Immigrants Arrival Vital Records|Vital Records]].” | ||
== '''''Reference Tools''''' == | == '''''Reference Tools''''' == | ||
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'''''Background Information.''''' You may need some geographical, linguistic, historical, or cultural information. This information can save you time and effort by helping you focus your research in the correct place and time period. You may need to— | '''''Background Information.''''' You may need some geographical, linguistic, historical, or cultural information. This information can save you time and effort by helping you focus your research in the correct place and time period. You may need to— | ||
*<div>Locate towns or places.</div> | *<div>Locate towns or places.</div> | ||
*<div>Review local or ethnic histories.</div> | *<div>Review local or ethnic histories.</div> | ||
*<div>Learn about jurisdictions.</div> | *<div>Learn about jurisdictions.</div> | ||
*<div>Use language helps.</div> | *<div>Use language helps.</div> | ||
*<div>Understand native customs.</div> | *<div>Understand native customs.</div> | ||
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After you find information about an immigrant's place of origin, you must interpret your findings. You may want to ask an experienced researcher or native speaker to help you understand foreign terms. You should— | After you find information about an immigrant's place of origin, you must interpret your findings. You may want to ask an experienced researcher or native speaker to help you understand foreign terms. You should— | ||
*<div>Evaluate the place-name.</div> | *<div>Evaluate the place-name.</div> | ||
*<div>Understand foreign spellings.</div> | *<div>Understand foreign spellings.</div> | ||
*<div>Prove that the person you found is really the immigrant.</div> | *<div>Prove that the person you found is really the immigrant.</div> | ||
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*'''''Language and terminology.''''' If you do not know the native version of a country name, you may think the country name is a town. For example— | *'''''Language and terminology.''''' If you do not know the native version of a country name, you may think the country name is a town. For example— | ||
{| width="247" align="center | {| class="plain FCK__ShowTableBorders" width="247" align="center" | ||
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| '''Native Name''' | | '''Native Name''' | ||
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Other foreign terms can be mistaken for place-names. “''Königreich Preußen'',” for example, means the “kingdom of Prussia” and does not refer to a town called Königreich in Prussia. Other foreign terms that may confuse researchers include— | Other foreign terms can be mistaken for place-names. “''Königreich Preußen'',” for example, means the “kingdom of Prussia” and does not refer to a town called Königreich in Prussia. Other foreign terms that may confuse researchers include— | ||
{| width="247" align="center | {| class="plain FCK__ShowTableBorders" width="247" align="center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| '''Native Term''' | | '''Native Term''' | ||
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Many town names are spelled differently in the native language: | Many town names are spelled differently in the native language: | ||
{| | {| class="plain FCK__ShowTableBorders" style="width: 252px; height: 158px" align="center" | ||
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| '''Native Spelling''' | | '''Native Spelling''' | ||
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*'''''State, regional, and provincial names.''''' Instead of the town, some sources only name the county, region, or province. Foreign states, counties, provinces, or regions are unfamiliar to many researchers. Some examples include— | *'''''State, regional, and provincial names.''''' Instead of the town, some sources only name the county, region, or province. Foreign states, counties, provinces, or regions are unfamiliar to many researchers. Some examples include— | ||
{| | {| class="plain FCK__ShowTableBorders" style="width: 334px; height: 152px" align="center" | ||
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| '''Native Term''' | | '''Native Term''' | ||
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*'''''Place-name changes.''''' Some places have been known by more than one name. Such changes often occurred when another country took over and translated the name into its language. Gdansk in Poland was known as Danzig under German rule. Some name changes were political. For example, Kitchner, Ontario was Berlin before World War I. Other changes have evolved over time. Shropshire, England is sometimes still called Salop, its old name. Other examples include— | *'''''Place-name changes.''''' Some places have been known by more than one name. Such changes often occurred when another country took over and translated the name into its language. Gdansk in Poland was known as Danzig under German rule. Some name changes were political. For example, Kitchner, Ontario was Berlin before World War I. Other changes have evolved over time. Shropshire, England is sometimes still called Salop, its old name. Other examples include— | ||
{| | {| class="plain FCK__ShowTableBorders" style="width: 234px; height: 114px" align="center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| '''Old Name''' | | '''Old Name''' | ||