Of the immigration clerks working to process new arrivals during the “Golden Age of Immigration,” a third were foreign-born, and all were required to speak at least three languages. The names that were changed were done so at the request of the individual. The New York immigration records from Ellis Island show that very few immigrant names were changed upon entry. Since inspectors were not responsible for recording immigrants’ names, any errors most likely occurred in the passengers’ home countries where tickets were purchased and recorded. Despite the common misconception that Ellis Island inspectors changed immigrants’ names, either intentionally or accidentally, the inspectors didn’t actually write anything down.
These stories were often a way to fill in the blanks of an ancestor, or to compensate for missing Ellis Island records of a particular family member. The stories of immigrant name changes are based on family stories that developed after the fact. In this article, we explore the misconceptions about immigrant name changes and how understanding them can help you in researching your family history. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. The big building in the background is the new hospital just opened,” 1902. Photo: “Emigrants coming up the board-walk from the barge, which has taken them off the steamship company’s docks, and transported them to Ellis Island. However, these stories of Ellis Island name changes are much more folklore than historical fact. With the stroke of a pen, the inspector changed Hervik to Harwick or Anestis to Ernest. “This completes the circle of our decades-long collaboration with the team from FamilySearch, which began with providing the public with unprecedented access to their genealogy and sparking a worldwide phenomenon linking past and present.It is very likely that you or someone you know has heard an old story passed down through generations that goes like this: An immigrant ancestor arrived in New York with nothing but a bag, a determined attitude, and a name that an Ellis Island immigration inspector found difficult to understand let alone spell. Briganti, president and CEO of the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation.
Ellis island immigration records for free#
“The foundation is delighted to make these immigration records accessible to the public for free for the first time,” said Stephen A. The result is a free and searchable database containing 63.7 million names, including immigrants, crew and other passengers traveling to and from the United States through Ellis Island, the nation’s largest port of entry. Originally preserved on microfilm, 9.3 million images of historical New York passenger records spanning 130 years were digitized and indexed in a massive effort by 165,590 online FamilySearch volunteers. This online database contains family connections for more than 100 million Americans living today. The entire collection of Ellis Island New York Passenger Arrival Lists from 1820 to 1957 is now available online at and the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation. Ellis Island Jewish immigrants arriving at the Ellis Bureau in 1910.
0 kommentar(er)
