Genealogy has its own language. Documents that genealogists use have a terminology we need to be aware of in order to analyze the information found within. The following are some of the terms that you will come across when researching your ancestor’s immigration on passenger lists.
- Angel Island: Island in the San Francisco Bay where from 1910 to 1940 it was used as an immigration station for those entering the US from the Pacific. It was mostly used to inspect and detain Asian immigrants.
- Breman, Germany: Major emigrant port in the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Castle Garden: Located on the Southern tip of Manhattan, the New York port prior to Ellis Island, Castle Garden was in operation from 1855 to 1890.
- Certificate of Arrival: Verified an immigrant’s date of arrival, port, and ship. Information was then sent to the court where the naturalization documents were filed. This was a result of the US Naturalization Act of 1906.
- Chinese Emigration Act: Passed in 1882, excluded almost all Chinese emigration and placed restrictions on Chinese in the United States. The Act was renewed in 1892 and then made permanent in 1902. In 1943 it was repealed but number restrictions remained.[1]
- Declaration of Intent: First step taken by a person wishing to become naturalized in the United States.
- Ellis Island: A port in New York Harbor. Ellis Island was in operation from 1892 to 1952. At one time it was the busiest port. Prior to Ellis Island, Castle Garden processed immigrants from 1855 to 1890.
- Emigration: To leave one’s country to settle in another. (People emigrate from a country)
- Germans to America: Index of ship passenger arrival records of Germans who immigrated, edited by Ira A. Glazier and P. William Filby. Estimated to include 70,000 names in each volume.[2]
- Hamburg, Germany: An emigration port.
- Immigration: To enter another country to live permanently. (People immigrate to a country)
- Likely Public Charge (LPC): In the US if someone is noted as LPC they were considered Likely a Public Charge meaning that they were disabled, lacked friends or family and/or had little financial means. Someone who was determined to be LPC would have been detained and possibly deported.[3]
- Migrate: To go from one country, region, or place to another, especially periodically.[3]
- Naturalization: The process of becoming a citizen. Depending on the time period the process can differ including who needed to be naturalized, what court the person would have gone to, and the process.
- New Orleans, Louisiana: “In the 30 years leading up to the Civil War, the Port of New Orleans was second only to New York City in the number of international arrivals. The Haitian Revolution, which had begun in 1791, caused those opposing the revolution to flee, including white enslavers, free people of color, and enslaved people.”[4]
- Passenger List: List of ship passengers submitted to customs officials (such as US Immigration and Naturalization Services) at a port.
- Passport: A document that identifies a person and their citizenship. Used to travel to and from their home country.
- Port: A city with a harbor where ships load or unload. Customs officials may be stationed at the port to check passengers citizenship and reasons for travel.
- Ship Manifests: Another term for a passenger ship list.
- Steerage: The part of the ship accommodating passengers paying the least for their tickets.
References
- ↑ Chinese Exclusion Act (1882). National Archives
- ↑ Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at US Ports 1850-1897. German Roots
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Frequently Asked Questions. The Ships List. University of Texas at San Antonio
- ↑ Coming to New Orleans: A new series on the city’s diverse immigration history. The Historic New Orleans Collection