4 ms·

Curious if you read the article? The point that it is making is that immigration didn't write down people's names at all, they were just checking them off a lis

Curious if you read the article? The point that it is making is that immigration didn't write down people's names at all, they were just checking them off a list, so there was no opportunity to alter, change, or butcher the names. It surely happened, but either before or after; don't blame the immigration official. In reality, immigration officials did not write names down—they checked them off on a list in front of them. In other words, the names were already written down. The officials were not working with blank sheets of paper on which they created lists of newly arrived passengers, but with ship manifests, official lists of passengers who had disembarked. These manifests were required by US federal law as of March 2, 1819. Beginning on that date (i.e., when the federal government assumed control over immigration), ship captains were required to report a list of all passengers brought to US shores from foreign countries; information required included name, sex, age, and occupation

sottol 3y ago
Would later official documents reference the Ellis Island records or how were the official names determined eg when an immigrant was naturalized?
- riffic 3y ago
  it varies but after 1906, yes (I think this is what you're asking, apologies if it isn't) https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States_Naturalization_and_Citizenship#Naturalization_After_1906 https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States_Naturaliz... > After 1906 an immigrant was required to submit a certificate of arrival when he petitioned for citizenship in order to prove the length of his residency. This document gives the place of entry, manner of arrival, and date of arrival. This was kept in the file with the petition.
helsinkiandrew 3y ago
> immigration didn't write down people's names at all Technically no, but the immigration system accepted names that must have contained mistakes and were presumably used as part of the naturalisation/documentation process later

sottol 3y ago

Would later official documents reference the Ellis Island records or how were the official names determined eg when an immigrant was naturalized?

riffic 3y ago
it varies but after 1906, yes (I think this is what you're asking, apologies if it isn't) https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States_Naturalization_and_Citizenship#Naturalization_After_1906 https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States_Naturaliz... > After 1906 an immigrant was required to submit a certificate of arrival when he petitioned for citizenship in order to prove the length of his residency. This document gives the place of entry, manner of arrival, and date of arrival. This was kept in the file with the petition.

helsinkiandrew 3y ago

> immigration didn't write down people's names at all Technically no, but the immigration system accepted names that must have contained mistakes and were presumably used as part of the naturalisation/documentation process later