Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of passenger lists of arrivals in New Orleans, Louisiana for the years 1820 to 1945. It corresponds to two NARA publications: The passenger lists are digital copies of the original records. The earliest records are handwritten pages. Later records are usually handwritten on pre-printed pages. The records are arranged by the date of entry into port. Passenger arrival lists known as customs manifests date back to 1820. Congressional action in 1891 resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrants’ arrival. Arrival lists was used by legal authorities to gather personal information about immigrants prior to the person being allowed to live in the United States. The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk guessed at the spelling of foreign names.
 * Record Group 36 Records of the United States Customs Service
 * M259: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1820-1902 Covering January 1, 1820 to January 31, 1903
 * Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service
 * T905: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1903-1945 Covering January 8, 1903-December 31, 1945

 Related Collections National Archives Catalog
 * Work Projects Administration Transcript of Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1978–1996 NAID 122157683 Covers 1813-1849 Digital Images

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

Passenger lists prior to 1906 • 3
 * Name
 * Date of arrival
 * Port of embarkation
 * Name of ship

Inventory
For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see Louisiana, New Orleans, Passenger and Crew Lists and Indexes - Inventory

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know: If you do not know this information, check the census records after 1900.
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of immigration

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.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information and to find additional information.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information found in the record to find other records such as emigrations, port records, and ship’s manifests
 * Use the record to learn the place of origin and find vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and probate records
 * Use the record to see if other family members who may have immigrated with the person you are looking for are listed and have additional information or leads; you may also find additional information on new family members in census records

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process
 * Check other possible ports of entry

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Louisiana.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * Searching Passenger Lists
 * Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
 * Louisiana Guided Research
 * Louisiana Record Finder
 * Louisiana Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Louisiana Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Work Projects Administration transcript of passenger lists of vessels arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1813-1849National Archives Microfilm publications M2009, 2 rolls
 * Quarterly abstracts of passenger lists of vessels arriving at New Orleans, 1820-1875. National Archives microfilm publication M272, 17 rolls
 * Passenger lists of vessels arriving at New Orleans, 1822 & 1851. New Orleans Public Library, 2 rolls
 * Crew Lists, 1803-1826. Works Progress Administration 1938-1939
 * Crew Lists of vessels arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1910-1920. National Archives microfilm publication, T939, 48 rolls
 * Collector of Customs. Port of New Orleans. Proofs of citizenship used to apply for seamen's protection certificates for the port of New Orleans, Louisiana, 1800, 1802, 1804-1807, 1809-1812, 1814-1816, 1818-1819, 1821, 1850-1851, 1855, 1857 : NARA RG 36 publication M1826
 * Netherlands, Holland-America Line passenger lists, 1900-1974 New York, New Orleans

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Ship registers and enrollments of New Orleans, Louisiana, 1804-1870
 * compiled by Harold Lancour A bibliography of ship passenger lists, 1538-1825; with a list of passenger arrival records in the National Archives by Frank E. Bridgers 3d ed., rev. and enl, New York, New York : New York Public Library distributed by Readex Books, 1975
 * Forrest R. Holdcamper, comp. Preliminary inventory of the records of the Bureau of Customs, record group 36 National Archives & Records Administration, Central Plains Region, 1968

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.