STATE AND FEDERAL SOURCES

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Next the chapter focused on using state Vital Records (Birth, Marriages, and Death). Finally it moved to federal records most likely to contain the home town “Passenger Arrival Lists” as well as explaining the Bureau of Immigration (since 1933 known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS), and the earlier Customs Passenger Lists.

The key ports with Immigration Passenger Lists in the National Archives on microfilm were next provided.

Ports Lists Indexes
Baltimore, MD 1891-1957 1897-1952
Boston, MA 1891-1943 1902-1906, 1906-1920, 1899-1940
New Orleans, LA 1903-1945 1900-1952
New York, NY 1897-1948 1897-1902, 1902-1948
Philadelphia, PA 1883-1945 1883-1948
San Francisco, CA 1893-1953, 1954-1957 1893-1934
Seattle, WA 1890-1957, 1949-1954 unindexed

A detailed account of the Passenger Lists Indexes was provided so that an understanding of these records could be utilized when indexes for the lists are found online. Historic information on Castle Garden, and Ellis Island was provided so you would know if your ancestor might have been listed among these records.

With Canada being on the northern border of the United States, it was natural for people to travel first to Canada when the cost of transportation their was cheaper, and then going to the United States. Therefore, a bit needs to be said about Canadian immigration records.

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