Tracing Our Roots
Coming to America
by Brenda Kellow
It was a little scary, but they had to do it. Being brave is one thing, but
knowing they left family for all time is a completely different matter. Mothers
cried. Some fathers cried too. No one wanted to say goodbye because of the fear
it would be forever. They probably left with a lump in their throats. Their
hearts beat faster and their hands became clammy. They had only to hope their
decision to leave the homeland for a new land with new opportunities was the
right decision. After all, they wanted to experience the American dream.
They left the mother country because they wanted their own land and farm or
business. After all, land is valuable in England and Europe and little was
available. Others left because of religious reasons. Many left as debtors while
others had at least some money. The government required each have a certain
amount of money with them before allowing them into the country. They all had to
be healthy and have a trade. We can only imagine their fear of the possible
rejection that would surely send them back home.
They came, ship after ship full of emigrants, bound for the land of plenty. Some
did not know the language while others knew only a few words. America expected
the emigration and had interrupters on duty to make the process proceed more
smoothly. Although we only assume the voyager’s behavior as they traveled to the
new world, most likely the majority experienced all or part of these feelings.
Have you thought about the reasons for immigration? Why did your ancestors leave
home for America?
If they came through Castle Garden or Ellis Island in New York City as millions
of immigrants from Europe and elsewhere did, they left a trail for descendants
to track them. Believing the surname spelling today is the same as then may be a
major barrier to finding your emigrant. Spellings may change.
Do you know how to track them through all the online websites? Here are a few
tips and sites to examine.
Stephen Morse defines his site as a one-step portal for online genealogy. His
goal in developing the site was to simplify the sometimes-overwhelming methods
for accessing the information from home. Through the development of his own
programs and databases, he refers to his site as “one step” website. If you do
not find what you are looking for today, try again later. By clicking on
“About
this website and how to use it”,
Morse relays the tips and tricks to help the researcher.
Morse includes suggestions for exploring many other topics other than Ellis
Island and Castle Garden. I can only name a few, but he has information on using
the U.S. and Canadian census, cemeteries, determining counties, how to get vital
records, marriage records, maps, naturalizations, relationship calendar, and
many other things.
Large searchable databases include both www.EllisIsland.org and
www.CastleGarden.org. Do not forget the ever-helpful www.FamilySearch.org and
www.Ancestry.com. Another helpful site for further help on emigration and
immigration is http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/ei.html. It goes one-step
further and adds help with German and European passenger departure and
emigration records. Help with European migration records is at
www.aemi.dk/adr.php. Nevertheless, do not forget these older sites, Olive
Tree, U.S. Genweb, World Connect, Rootsweb, and \Linkpendium.
You can search your immigrant ancestors coming to America in search of happiness
and prosperity. Use the helpful guides and tips above to make the
sometimes-frustrating search fruitful.
COLLIN COUNTY DIGITIZED RECORDS are
slowly
going online. Beware the site may be clumsy at first. If reading and following
the directions does not display the digitized record, contact the county clerk's
office and tell them your problem.
http://countyclerkrecords.co.collin.tx.us/webinquiry/.
Brenda
Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy.
Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held
certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical
Instructor. Send reunions announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries
to: TracingOurRoots@gmail.com.
