United States, Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports, 1820-1874
Name index and images of a card file to passengers arriving at 70 ports along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. New York City is excluded in this index. This collection corresponds with NARA microfilm publication M334.
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United States, Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports
What is in This Collection?
This is a card index to passengers arriving at 70 ports along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts for the years 1820 to 1874. New York City is excluded from this index.
States and portscovered by this collection include:
- Alabama:Mobile
- Connecticut:Bridgeport,Fairfield,Hartford,New Haven,New London,Saybrook
- Delaware:Wilmongton
- District of Columbia:Georgetown
- Florida:Key West,St. Augustine,St. Johns
- Georgia:Darien,Savannah
- Louisiana:New Orleans
- Maine:Bangor,Bath,Belfast,Frenchmen's Bay,Kennebunk,Passamaquoddy, Penobscot,Portland,Falmouth,Waldboro,Wiscasset,Yarmouth
- Massachusetts:Barnstable,Beverly,Boston,Charlestown,Digton,Edgartown,Fall River,Gloucester,Hingham,Marblehead,Nantucket,New Bedford,Newburyport,Plymouth,Salem
- Maryland:Annapolis,Baltimore,Havre de Grace
- North Carolina:Beaufort,Edenton,New Bern,
- New Hampshire:Portsmouth
- New Jersey:Bridgetown,Cape May,Little Egg Harbor,Newark,Perth Amboy
- New York:Oswegatchie,Rochester,Sag Harbor
- Ohio:Sandusky
- Pennsylvania:Philadelphia
- Rhode Island:Bristol,Warren,Newport,Providence
- South Carolina:Charleston,Port Royal
- Texas:Galveston
- Virginia:Alexandria,East River,Hampton,Norfolk,Portsmouth,Petersburg,Richmond
Ship captains kept lists of passengers to manage their finances and prevent stowaways. Later, immigration laws increased the need for passenger lists, which grew in detail. Eventually the Federal Government began to store immigrant documentation. These lists were first created to keep track of a captain's shipment and paying passengers. Later, they became a means to document immigration to the United States. Although generally reliable, passenger lists were handwritten, causing possible spelling errors.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
To Browse This Collection
| You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for United States, Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports, 1820-1874. |
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
- Passenger's name [Given and Family Name]
- Accompanied by
- Age in years and months
- Occupation
- Country of origin [Nationality]
- Last Permanent Residence [Town,Country,etc.]
- Destination
- Port of Entry
- Name of Vessel
- Date of arrival
Collection Content
Sample Image
1853 Passenger List Index
Inventory
For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see United States, Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports - Inventory
Collection Details
Location of Original Records
National Archives and Records Administration
"United States, Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports, 1820-1874." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 24 April 2025. Citing NARA microfilm publication M334. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
