United States, Germans to America Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of data files relating to the immigration of Germans to the United States for arrivals 1850-1897. Created by the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, Center for Immigration Research.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in this collection may include:


 * Name of immigrant
 * Date of immigration
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Country of origin
 * Port of departure
 * Name of ship
 * Port of entry
 * Literate?

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know one or more of the following:


 * Name
 * Country of origin
 * Destination city/country

Search the Collection
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible ancestors. Compare the information in the list to what you already know about your ancestor to determine which individual is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Next, click on your ancestor's name. This will take you to a descriptive page with a link to the image.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the name of your ancestor to locate church and land records.
 * The country/town of last residence can lead you to census records.
 * The destination city can also lead you to census records.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Related Websites

 * NARA Fielded Search

Related Wiki Articles

 * United States
 * Germany Emigration and Immigration

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.