GuidedResearch:Finding Town of Origin - United States Immigration - pre 1790

Major Ports During This Era

 * 1500s-1900s U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1633-1685 The New Early Settlers of Maryland database by Dr. Carson Gibb - index
 * 1682-1759 A List of Emigrants from England to America, 1682-1692, 1718-1759 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1720-1737 Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild Vol. 1, Vol. 3, Vol. 11


 * 1500s-1900s U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1620 Mayflower Passengers at Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants - index
 * 1620-1640 The Planters of the Commonwealth in Massachusetts, 1620-1640 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1620-1650 The Pioneers of Massachusetts, 1620-1650 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1630 The Winthrop Fleet of 1630 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1634-1767 Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4
 * 1682-1759 A List of Emigrants from England to America, 1682-1692, 1718-1759 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1715-1769 Port Arrivals and Immigrants to the City of Boston, 1715-1716 and 1762-1769 at Ancestry - index & images ($)


 * 1500s-1900s U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1763-1773 A Compilation of the Original Lists of Protestant Immigrants to South Carolina, 1763-1773 at Ancestry - index & images ($)


 * 1500s-1900s U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1788 Immigrant Ships Transcriber's Guild Vol. 2


 * 1500s-1900s U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1623-1774 Immigrant Ships Transcriber's Guild Vol. 4, Vol. 6, Vol. 10
 * 1630-1658 Rensselaerswyck, New York Settlers, 1630-58 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1630-1674 Scandinavian Immigrants in New York, 1630-1674 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1675-1920 New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1682-1759 A List of Emigrants from England to America, 1682-1692, 1718-1759 at Ancestry - index & images ($)


 * 1500s-1900s U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1682-1759 A List of Emigrants from England to America, 1682-1692, 1718-1759 at Ancestry - index & images ($)


 * 1500s-1900s U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1641-1819 Emigrants to Pennsylvania, 1641-1819 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1682-1750 Quaker Arrivals at Philadelphia 1682-1750 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1682-1750 Immigration of Irish Quakers to Pennsylvania, 1682-1750 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1682-1759 A List of Emigrants from England to America, 1682-1692, 1718-1759 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1684-1911 Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild Vol. 1, Vol. 2,Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5, Vol. 6, Vol. 14, Vol. 18
 * 1727-1776 A collection of upwards of thirty thousand names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and other immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1727-1776 Index to the names of 30,000 immigrants--German, Swiss, Dutch and French--into Pennsylvania, 1727-1776. Supp. at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1727-1808 Pennsylvania German Pioneers Passenger Lists at RootsWeb (archived on Wayback Machine) - index
 * 1733-1808 Palatine German Ship Passengers Lists to PA at Ancestor Search - index
 * 1771-1773 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Indentures, 1771-1773 at Ancestry - index ($)


 * 1500s-1900s U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1682-1759 A List of Emigrants from England to America, 1682-1692, 1718-1759 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1733-1783 The Germans of Colonial Georgia, 1733-1783 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1752-1767 Shipping lists for Georgia, 1752-1767(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Background Information
During this time period, most voluntary immigrants came from Northwestern Europe, specifically the British Isles and Germany. There were also many African people forcibly brought to the New World as slaves. Englishmen and women Scotch-Irish People Germans Africans
 * Migrants from England made up eighty percent of the British American population in 1700.
 * Scottish Protestants that settled in Ireland during the 17th century.
 * Began migrating to the New World in the beginning of the eighteenth century.
 * Typically came to Pennsylvania, through Philadelphia.
 * Settled in Western Pennsylvania, Appalachian regions of Virginia and Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
 * Began migrating to the New World in the beginning of the eighteenth century.
 * Initially settled in Western Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, and the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.
 * Eventually migrated in the Piedmont region of the Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia; and Western Pennsylvania and Ohio.
 * Most enslaved people came to America from West Africa against their will via the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
 * So many were transported across the Atlantic that by the first census in 1790, people of African descent made up twenty percent of the United States' population.

Census Records
Below is a table with possible immigration information found in the United States Census records. The below information can give clues as to when a person immigrated. Beginning in 1850, the United States censuses listed the birthplace of a person. This information can be helpful in knowing the country of origin. These earlier census records can also give clues as to when a family immigrated to the United States if some of the children were born in their homeland country and some in the United States. This is helpful in narrowing down the year of immigration. As noted in the table, some of the later censuses provide an estimated or exact year of immigration as well. NOTE: The immigration years can vary from census to census, especially if the person immigrated as a child and did not remember the year exactly. 

Online Naturalization Resources
Since the adoption of the United States constitution, there have been naturalization laws and regulations in place. The naturalization process often took place in county courts. To learn more about the naturalization process read United States Naturalization and Citizenship. These types of courts varied between different states. County naturalization records can often be found in county supreme, circuit, district, equity, chancery, probate, or common pleas courts. Some states also naturalized aliens in state supreme courts. These states include Indiana, Iowa, Maine, New Jersey, and South Dakota. Aliens were sometimes naturalized in a Federal court (U.S. district court or U.S. circuit court) if they resided in a large city.
 * 1791-1992 — U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project) at Ancestry.com ($) - index and images
 * United States Naturalization and Citizenship Online Genealogy Records - links to major online databases

The naturalization process took a minimum of five years to complete. After living in the United States for 2 years, a declaration of intent could be filed. This was called the "first papers." After another three years, the petition of naturalization could be filed. When this petition was granted, a certificate of citizenship was given. In the 1900 and 1910 United States census records, it is stated whether or not the person is an alien or naturalized. NA stands for naturalized, AL for Alien, and PA for papers.

There were several exceptions to the citizenship rule. From 1790-1922, minor children and wives automatically became citizens when their father or husband did. If an alien woman married a citizen, she gained citizenship in the United States. The reverse was not true for men. If an alien man married a citizen of the United States, he did not become a citizen and his wife lost her citizenship, even if she never left the United States. From 1824-1906, aliens who had lived in the United States for five years before they turned 23, could file their declarations and petitions at the same time. A third exception was for veterans. Beginning in 1862, honorably discharged veterans of the United States could petition for naturalization without filing a declaration of intent. In 1918, aliens currently serving in the military were allowed to petition for naturalization.

Online Town and County History Resources
Town and county histories can give important clues to a person's origins. Many of these histories have short biographies of important or founding families in the community. If someone prominent in the community is an immigrant their place of origin will usually be recorded in this biographies; the origins of parents are sometimes listed in biographies of their children as well.
 * United States Online Genealogy Records - online record collections for the United States, not comprehensive

Online Church Resources
Church records can include christenings, baptisms, marriage, and burial records. These can give the names of parents and other potential relatives. After coming to the United States, many immigrants stayed near people from their own country and community back home. Many churches kept records in their native language. Looking at the records of other members of the community who immigrated about the same time and from the same country can also give potential clues to the town of origin.
 * United States Church Records - for more information on how to find Church Records in the United States
 * United States Online Genealogy Records - online record collections for the United States, not comprehensive

Online Court and Land Resources
Court and land records can be helpful in keeping track of a person in the community. These can be helpful in figuring out when a person came into a community, and potentially where they lived before.
 * United States Court Records - for more information on how to find Court Records in the United States
 * United States Land and Property - for more information on how to find Land Records in the United States
 * United States Online Genealogy Records - online record collections for the United States, not comprehensive