Emigration records document an emigration, meaning someone leaving their home country to permanently move to another country.[1] The word "emigration" is often confused with the word "immigration," which refers to arriving in a foreign country to live permanently.
Aside from locating possible records, it's also imperative to research the reasons why an ancestor may have left their home country. This information can help to tell their story and better understand their lives.
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Motives for emigrating from a home country
When a person migrates, any number of "push/pull" factors can lead them to make that decision. Knowing the history of their home country at that time period might help to understand better why they left.
Push Factors include:
- Violence/War
- Mandatory military service
- Poverty
- Lack of food (for example, the Irish Potato Famine)
- Lack of opportunity
- Discrimination (religious or ethnic, for example)
- Environmental (such as a natural disaster)
Pull Factors include:
- Promise of opportunity
- Cheap land
- Family living in the new country
- Religion (to live with others of their religious faith)
Finding emigration records
Emigration records are similar to immigration records. However, as you consider your ancestor’s emigration you will want to look for records in their home country that document their leaving.
Records will differ according to the time period and country. These include:
Emigrant records can be found in various repositories. Start with free and subscription genealogy websites. Look for subject categories such as Immigration & Emigration, Travel, or Migration.
Many emigrant records are federal or national records held by the ancestor’s home country government (the country they left). Consult the national archive or library catalog for your ancestor’s country of origin.
Ship passenger lists are created at the port the person left from. These records may be online via a genealogy website or other website that focuses on historical port/ship records. Consult a finding aid such as Cyndi’s List for possible online locations.
Explore more about emigration
- Immigration and Emigration Records on MyHeritage
- British & Irish Passenger Lists 1890 on MyHeritage
- Norway, Emigration Registers, 1867-1959 on MyHeritage
- Germany, Bremen Emigration Lists, 1920-1939 on MyHeritage
- How to look for records of Emigration and emigrants. National Archives
See also
References
- ↑ Emigration. Merriam-Webster Dictionary