New York, New York, Index to Passengers Lists of Vessels - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains indexes to passenger lists of vessels arriving at New York, New York. The records were compiled between 1897 and 1902. It corresponds with NARA series T519. The cards are arranged in alphabetical order and contain such information as name, date and place of birth, sex, occupation, nationality, place of last residence, etc.

Passenger arrival lists, or customs manifests, date back to 1820. The first official emigration station for New York was Castle Garden, located at the tip of lower Manhattan. Congressional action in 1891 resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrants’ arrival. After January 1892, passengers arriving in New York debarked at Ellis Island, located east of Manhattan in the New York Harbor. From 1892 to 1924, almost all immigrants entered the United States through the port of New York.

When passengers arrived at Ellis Island, they were asked a series of questions designed to determine whether they would be able to support themselves and did not have any health problems. The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Only 2% of immigrants were denied entry into the United States.

The passenger lists are usually two typed pages divided into columns and rows. When you select an image to view, sometimes the manifest includes more than one page, and when you use the "click to enlarge manifest" link, the image that appears is not always the first page. To view the other page, use the "previous" or "next" links.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * Location of departure
 * Approximate age

Search the Index
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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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

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

 * Check for variant spellings. Realize that the indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings and misinterpretations
 * Entry clerks tried to record names correctly; however, mistakes may have been made in spelling foreign names. Often many second or third generation United States citizens Americanized their names, so the spelling in the passenger list may be different than the spelling that you are familiar with
 * Try a different index if there is one for the years needed. You may also need to search the passenger lists year by year
 * Search the indexes of other port cities
 * A fire broke out in the original buildings on 15 June 1897 destroying most of the immigrant records dating back to 1855. Record of your ancestor’s arrival may have been among those records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of New York.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * New York Guided Research
 * New York Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step New York Research, 1880-Present

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Passenger and crew lists of vessels arriving at New York, 1897-1942; index to passenger lists of vessels arriving at New York, June 16, 1897- June 30, 1902 ; index (soundex) to passenger lists of vessels arriving at New York, July 1, 1902-July 1, 1948 : NARA publications T519, T621, T715, and M1417

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Adler's directory : a compilation of passenger steamships sailing from European ports and arriving in the Eastern ports of the United States from 1899 to 1929, inclusive New York, New York : Steamship Directory Publishers, 1940
 * Morton Allan directory of European passenger steamship arrivals : for the years 1890 to 1930 at the port of New York and for the years 1904 to 1926 at the ports of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore New York, New York : Immigration Information Bureau, c1931

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.