South Carolina, Charleston U.S. Citizens Passenger Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains passenger lists of U.S. citizens arriving at Charleston, South Carolina for the years November 1919 to December 1948. These records correspond with NARA publication A3647 and were filmed at the NARA facility in College Park, Maryland.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Passenger list
 * The port of departure
 * Dates of departure and arrival
 * Name of passenger
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Marital status
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and court of naturalization (if naturalized)
 * Residence

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of arrival

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the NARA Roll Number - Contents to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
Use passenger lists to:
 * Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
 * Confirm their date of arrival
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests
 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct
 * Continue to search the passenger lists to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have immigrated at the same time
 * If your ancestor has an uncommon surname, you may want to obtain the passenger list of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the name
 * Look for an index. Records are often indexed by local historical and genealogical societies
 * Search the passenger lists year by year
 * Search the indexes of other port cities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of South Carolina.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * South Carolina Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.