Family Tree Friday: Immigration Records in AAD

A couple of weeks ago John wrote about the 20th century military records available on our website through Access to Archival Databases (AAD). Today, I want to talk about the immigration records that you can find in AAD. In the late 1970s, the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies began compiling data from nineteenth century passenger … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Immigration Records in AAD

Family Tree Friday: Passport Applications Provide Information About Individuals

Did your ancestor travel abroad?  If your ancestor was a U.S. citizen, then he or she may have applied for a U.S. passport.  The records include standard information such as the date of birth, occupation, and citizenship information.  Some of the applications provide additional information that may lead to immigration or naturalization records.  Some even … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Passport Applications Provide Information About Individuals

Family History Friday: The real scoop about name changes in immigration records.

Have you ever had an immigrant ancestor whose name appeared to change after they came to America?  It was a very common occurrence, but the popular perception is that U.S. immigration officials deliberately changed a person's name if they couldn't understand the verbal information relayed to them by the immigrant.  In fact, this is one … Continue reading Family History Friday: The real scoop about name changes in immigration records.