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Migration Records
Why Are Passenger Records So Important?
For some family history enthusiasts, researching passenger records may not seem important if they already know the origins of their family prior to arriving in North America. Some may even have the exact date of arrival and name of ship as recorded on a naturalization document, so there may seem to be nothing gained from the time required to research these records.
It is always recommended that you inspect the original manifest image for yourself, if possible. Only you may be able to recognize the importance of a scribble in the margin or the name of another relative traveling with your direct-line ancestor or the fact that they had taken an earlier trip. These and many more facts can be determined by an inspection of the original manifest image.
Emigration Records
According to Wikipedia, Emigration is the act and the phenomenon of leaving one's native country to settle abroad. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of state boundaries or within one state, is termed migration. There are many reasons why people might choose to emigrate. Some for political or economic reasons. Some might have found a spouse while visiting another country and emigrate to be with them. Many older people living in rich nations with cold climates will choose to move to warmer climates when they retire.
Many political or economic emigrants move together with their families toward new regions or new countries where they hope to find peace or job opportunities not available to them in their original location. Throughout history a large number of emigrants return to their homelands, often after they have earned sufficient money in the other country. Sometimes these emigrants move to countries with big cultural differences and will always feel as guests in their destinations, and preserve their original culture, traditions and language, sometimes transmitting them to their children. The conflict between the native and the newer culture may easily create social contrasts, generally resulting in an uncomfortable situation for the "foreigners", who have to understand legal and social systems sometimes new and strange to them. Often, communities of emigrants grow up in the destination areas, collecting immigrants of common provenance, also to help for integration.
One of the most notable collections of outward passenger lists is currently being digitized and transcribed. Announced at the 2006 FGS Boston Conference, the Ancestors On Board project is a cooperative effort by FindMyPast.com (formerly 1837online.com) and The National Archives of England. The outward passenger lists for the years 1890-1960 are part of a group called BT 27 (Board of Trade - record group 27). Upon completion, the outbound passenger lists will show passengers bound for the United States, Canada, Australia, South America, and other destinations.
Immigration Records
Although human migration has existed for hundreds of thousands of years, immigration in the modern sense refers to movement of people from one nation-state to another, where they are not citizens. Immigration implies long-term permanent residence by the immigrants: tourists and short-term visitors are not considered immigrants. However, seasonal labour migration (typically for periods of less than a year) is often treated as a form of immigration. The global volume of immigration is high in absolute terms, but low in relative terms. The UN estimated 190 million international migrants in 2005, about 3% of global population. The other 97% still live in the state in which they were born, or its successor state.
The modern idea of immigration is related to the development, especially in the 19th century, of nation-states with clear citizenship criteria, passports, permanent border controls, and nationality law. Citizenship of a nation-state confers an inalienable right of residence in that state, but residence of immigrants is subject to conditions set by immigration law. The nation-state made immigration a political issue: by definition it is the homeland of a nation defined by shared ethnicity and/or culture, and in most cases immigrants have a different ethnicity and culture. This has led to social tensions, xenophobia, and conflicts about national identity, in many developed countries.
Among the most significant of all immigration collections available for online research is the Ellis Island Passenger Arrivals Database for the years 1892 to 1924. This so called Golden Era of American Immigration saw more than 24 million passengers pass through Ellis Island and it is widely reported that more than 40% of Americans today can trace at least one line of their family to an Ellis Island arrival.
You can use the template below to search for your immigrant ancestors. When you press 'Start Search', you will be taken directly to search results at www.ellisisland.org
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Year Range