| Dear Fellow Genealogist,
America, it is often said, is a nation of immigrants. And immigrants, it is popularly believed, arrived at Ellis Island.
Ellis Island opened in 1892, just in time to witness one of the greatest waves of immigration in US history. So, numerically speaking, the greatest number of immigrants to this country probably did arrive at Ellis Island or its precursor, Castle Garden.
However, those were not the only ports of arrival for European immigrants. Get expert advice on finding and using records for ports in Canada, Maryland, Massachusetts and Louisiana in our "Genealogy Q&A: Other Ports of Entry for Immigrants."
Once you’ve found your ancestor in passenger lists, you can turn your attention to confirming their hometown. In our second article, David Fryxell shares how crucial family oral history can be to locating an ancestor’s hometown. If you don’t have family knowledge, our guide to cluster and collateral research will show you how to research in your immigrant ancestor in conjunction with their friends and family.
Believing I will find the right passenger list,
— Amanda, eLearning Producer of Family Tree University
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