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Did you know that Immigration means To enter and settle in a country or region to which one is not native and that Emigration means To leave one country or region to settle in another Find your ancestor on 2,553 Olive Tree Genealogy FREE Ships Passenger Lists or Search over 8,000 ships passenger lists on websites like ISTG (Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild), TheShipsList.com, and more!

Pre-1820 Approximately 650,000 individuals of all nationalities arrived in America before 1820. Most were English and Welsh. Smaller numbers of German, Irish, Scotch-Irish, Dutch, French, Spanish, African, and other nationalities also arrived. These immigrants tended to settle in the eastern, middle-Atlantic, and southern states. Before January 1, 1820, the U.S. Federal Government did not require captains or masters of vessels to present a passenger list to U.S. officials. The lists that remain for the period before 1820 are varied in content. They range from name only lists to giving the person's full name, age, and country of origin.

1820-1880 Over 10 million immigrants came from northern Europe, the British Isles, and Scandinavia between 1820 and 1880. There was a large increase in the number of immigrants from Germany and Ireland beginning in the 1840s and 1850s. Some settled in large eastern and midwestern cities, but most migrated to the midwest and west.

1880-1920 More than 25 million immigrants, mainly from southern and eastern Europe came to USA. Many came from Germany, Italy, Ireland, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and England. Many settled in the larger cities, including New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia. From 1820 to 1902 Custom Passengers Lists were kept the Customs Department. In 1883 the Immigration and Naturalization Service started keeping the records, and these are referred to as Immigration Passenger Lists

To find your Mormon ancestors you will want to consult

• Passenger Lists (if available)
• Indexes to Ships Passenger Lists on Microfilm after 1820 (if available)
• CD ROMS
• Books
• Online Ships Passenger Lists
• Articles & Research Tips
• Newspapers (for ship arrivals)
• Naturalization Records
• Census Records

CD ROMS

Ships Passenger Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Indexed CD with names of approximately 3,530,000 individuals who arrived in United States and Canadian ports. Or search online Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s [$] Indexed CD with names of approximately 3,530,000 individuals who arrived in United States and Canadian ports

Online Immigration Records (Fee-based)

Immigrants to the New World, 1600s-1800s

Ships Passenger Lists on Microfilm

NARA & FHC Microfilm Reel Numbers Passenger Lists to North America 1820 to 1957

Naturalization Records

For help with Naturalization Records, plus online searchable databases, see NaturalizationRecords.com

Online Articles & Research Advice

Immigration to USA Before 1820
Immigration to USA After 1820
Naturalization & Citizenship Records USA (PART 1) What the Records contain
Naturalization & Citizenship Records USA (PART 2) Where to Find the Records
Manifest Markings: A Guide to Interpreting Passenger List Annotations (1892-1943) by Marian L. Smith, the Historian of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service

Newspapers

If the exact date of arrival of a ship is known, you can read the arrival report in newspapers. For example, The New York Times which began publication in September 1851, is available at many large libraries. The type of vessel is normally indicated on the arrival report, which may also give information about events on the voyage. Sometimes names are also given, although full passenger lists are not. You can search the NY Times online! Search 1857-1880 or 1881-1906 These are off-site pay databases but you may be able to use a free trial offer to view them.

Online Free Ships Passenger Lists

Mormon Passenger Lists can be found at
Italy 28 Scandanavian Mormons to New Orleans, Louisiana 1852
Forest Monarch 297 Mormon emigrants from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway to New Orleans, Louisiana 1853
John J. Boyd 1855, sailed from Liverpool to New York with 512 Mormon emigrants from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Italy, England, Ireland, and Scotland
Emerald Isle Liverpool to New York with 350 Mormons on board, 1855
Thornton Liverpool to New York in 1856 - Mormons destined for Salt Lake City Utah
John Bright 1858 Liverpool to New York with 89 Mormons from Scandanavia
Emerald Isle Liverpool to New York with 54 Mormons on board, 1859
William Tapscott 725 Mormons, Liverpool to New York 1859
William Tapscott 730 Mormons, Liverpool to New York 1860
Monarch of the Sea Liverpool to New York with Mormons in 1861
Franklin 413 Mormons from Denmark to New York, 1862
John J. Boyd In 1862, sailed from Liverpool to New York 702 Latter-day Saints aboard
The Athena 1862 Scandinavia to New York with Mormons bound for Utah, sailing from Hamburg with 484 Scandinavian Saints under the leadership of Ola N. Liljenquist
Electric Hamburg to New York with 336 emigrating Mormons from Denmark and Sweden led by Elder Soren Christofferson, 1862
William Tapscott 807 Mormons, Liverpool to New York 1862
Humboldt 323 Scandinavian Mormons to New York, 1862
B.S. Kimball Liverpool to New York 1863. On board were 657 Mormons, principally from Scandinavia
John J. Boyd In 1863, sailed from Liverpool to New York with 767 Mormons aboard, most from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Consignment Liverpool to New York with thirty-eight Scandinavian Saints 1863
Monarch of the Sea Liverpool to New York with 974 Mormons in 1864
B.S. Kimball Liverpool to New York 1865. On board were 558 Mormons, principally from Scandinavia
Humboldt 328 Scandinavian Mormons to New York, 1866
John Bright 1866 Liverpool to New York with 747 Mormons from Scandanavia
Cavour Hamburg to New York 1866. A Norwegian vessel carrying Mormons
Kenilworth 684 Mormon passengers (583 Danes, 23 Norwegians, 73 Swedes, and 5 Germans) from Hamburg to New York 1866
Manhatten Liverpool to New York 1867 with Mormon passengers
Emerald Isle Liverpool to New York with 876 Mormons on board, 1868
John Bright 1868 Liverpool to New York with 720 Mormons from Scandanavia and England
Nevada Sept. 16, 1880. Nevada to Castle Gardens, New York with 338 Mormons
Wisconsin Sept. 9, 1885. Wisconsin to Castle Gardens, New York with 300 Mormons
S.S. Wyoming Aug. 31 1886 Liverpool to New York (Plus excerpts from the New York Times detailing the plight of the Mormons detained and sent back to Europe!)
Search for passengers Use Olive Tree Custom Search Engines to search multiple sites (choose search engines by state of arrival)

Census Records

AllCensusRecords.com Search Census Records all years in USA & Canada. Comparison chart of online sites and what census records they have

If you don't know the year your ancestor arrived in the USA, search the 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 census for the year of immigration! Naturalization status is also given.

Looking for other USA records? See USA GENEALOGY: a directory of links to searchable databases

Browse online FREE Ships Passenger Lists Choose by year of arrival in U.S.A.:
1400s           1600s           1700s           1800s           1900s

Did you know that Immigration means To enter and settle in a country or region to which one is not native and that Emigration means To leave one country or region to settle in another Find your ancestor on 2,553 Olive Tree Genealogy FREE Ships Passenger Lists or Search over 8,000 ships passenger lists on websites like ISTG (Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild), TheShipsList.com, and more!

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* Search for Your Immigrant Ancestor in Ports of Arrival U.S.A. | Canada | Australia & New Zealand | South Africa | England
* Find Ancestors on Ships Passenger Lists Outbound from USA & Canada
* Find Ancestors on Ships Passenger Lists by Year of Arrival