Archival Research Catalog (ARC)
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Historical Documents Online: Search Hints for Selected Topics

Immigration: Aliens / Arrivals

  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Landing Reports of Aliens, 1798 - 1828
    3 multi-page volumes have been digitized from this series. The digitized documents relate to Section 2 of an Act passed on April 14, 1802, which required all persons who were aliens and desired naturalization to report to the Clerk of the Court. They were to provide the Clerk with certain information and were then given a certificate of this registration. Information requested was: name of alien, race, place of birth, age, nationality, occupation, date and place of arrival in the United States, and the reason for entering the United States.  These materials are held by NARA's  Mid Atlantic Region (Philadelphia, PA).

    Search Hint: To retrieve the 3 multi-page digitized registration affidavits:

    1. Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/.
    2. Press the Yellow search button to go to the Basic search screen.
    3. Enter Landing Reports of Aliens in the Keywords box.
    4. Select the limit results radio button for 100.
    5. Select the box marked Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies.
    6. Press the Go button.
    7. When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link.

    From the Collection:


    Landing Reports of Aliens, 1798 to 1807
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    ARC Identifier: 279083, Title: "Volume 1 of the Landing Reports of Aliens, 1798 to 1807., 06/25/1798 - 09/04/1807"

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  • Passenger and crew lists of vessels arriving at New York, New York, June 1897 - July 1957
    We have digitized 2 documents from this series: The "List of Manifest of Alien Passengers for the Untied States Immigration Officer at port of Arrival R. M. S CARPATHIA" and the "List of U. S. Citizens (For the immigration Authorities), R.M. S. CARPATHIA." These lists document survivors from the S.S. Titanic that were taken aboard the R.M.S. CARPATHIA. The remainder of this series consists of passenger lists submitted upon arrival at New York, NY. The act also required that the collector submit a quarterly report or abstract, consisting of copies of these passenger lists, to the Secretary of State, who was required to submit such information at each session of Congress. After 1874, collectors forwarded only statistical reports to the Treasury Department. The lists themselves were retained by the collector of customs. Customs records were maintained primarily for statistical purposes. This microfilmed series is held by NARA's Old Military and Civilian Records (Washington DC.) Copies of the microfilm can be viewed at the National Archives building downtown in Washington, DC and at the Regional facilities nationwide.

    Search Hint: To retrieve the 2 digitized documents:

    1. Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/.
    2. Press the Yellow search button to go to the Basic search screen.
    3. Enter Carpathia in the Keywords box.
    4. Select the limit results radio button for 100.
    5. Select the box marked Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies.
    6. Select the location filter for Old Military and Civil Records.
    7. Press the Go button.
    8. When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link.

    From the Collection:

    List or Manifest of Alien Passengers for the United States Immigration Officer at Port of Arrival, R.M.S. CARPATHIA, June, 1912
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    ARC Identifier: 300348, Title: "List or Manifest of Alien Passengers for the United States Immigration Officer at Port of Arrival, R.M.S. CARPATHIA, 06/18/1912"

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  • Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus Cases, 1900 - 1952
    At least 36 documents have been digitized from this series of case files from the United States District Court, District of Hawaii. Application for writ of habeas corpus cases generally involve not guilt or innocence per se, but rather the issue of whether a prisoner is restrained of personal liberty in violation of due process of law. In the United States for instance, such due process is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The function of the writ, if granted, is to release one from illegal imprisonment. Documents filed in this group of federal cases from the Territory of Hawaii relate mainly to the following issues: Immigration and Naturalization Service detention of individuals prior to deportation, or denial of U.S. entry on grounds that service in the Imperial Japanese Navy negated U.S. citizenship; peonage; double jeopardy claims by individuals tried under Republic of Hawaii laws and later charged in U.S. Federal courts; and attempts to contest U.S. military imposition and continuation of martial law in the Territory of Hawaii. These materials are held by NARA's Pacific Region (San Bruno, CA).

    Search Hint: To retrieve the digitized documents:

    1. Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/.
    2. Press the Yellow search button to go to the Basic search screen.
    3. Enter District of Hawaii in the Keywords box.
    4. Select the limit results radio button for 100.
    5. Select the box marked Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies.
    6. Press the Go button.
    7. When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link for that series.

    From the Collection:

    Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
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    ARC Identifier: 295976, Title: "Naval photograph documenting the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii which initiated U.S. participation in World War II. Navy's caption: Battleships USS WEST VIRGINIA and USS TENNESSEE after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, 12/07/1941"

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  • Selected documents relating to the TITANIC, 1912 - 1918
    At least 12 items have been digitized relating to the Titanic. These materials are held by NARA's Northeast Region (New York City, NYC).

    To locate all digitized documents relating to the Titanic:

    1. Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/.
    2. Press the Yellow search button to go to the Basic search screen.
    3. Enter Titanic in the Keywords box.
    4. Select the limit results radio button for 100.
    5. Select the box marked Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies.
    6. Select the Location filter for NARA's Northeast Region (New York City) .
    7. Press the Go button.
    8. When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link.

    From the Collection:

    Lifeboat carrying Titanic survivors
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    ARC Identifier: 278338, Title: "Photograph of a lifeboat carrying TITANIC survivors. The following partial caption appears on the back of the fractured mat: '...H.B. Harris, Geo. Thinis (?), Mr. and Mrs. J. Milton (?), H.B. Staffanson (?), H. Woolman (?), Nairatil (?) children, Mys. Compton in stern - transferred from No. 14.' The writing on this mat is faded and difficult to read, 05/14/1912"
You may also want to view the Titanic Documents that are part of NARA's American Original online exhibit.
You may also want to read about these documents through the NARA Genealogy section on Immigration Records.

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  • Enemy Alien Registration Affidavits, 1917 - 1921
    5,929 affidavits have been digitized from this series. Following the onset of hostilities during World War I, non-naturalized "Enemy Aliens" by definition, were required to register with United States authorities as a national security measure. Under the provisions of a Presidential Proclamation of April 6, 1917, non-naturalized female aliens were likewise registered as an additional national security measure that included those women of American birth that were married to enemy aliens. The series contains original affidavits of registration that record personal information about each registrant, their photograph affixed to the majority of documents, and the registrants fingerprints. These materials are held by the National Archives at Kansas City, MO.

    Search Hint: To retrieve the digitized documents:

    1. Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/.
    2. Press the Yellow search button to go to the Basic search screen.
    3. Enter Enemy Alien Registration Affidavit as an exact phrase search in curly braces in the Keywords box.
    4. To retrieve the service record for only one person, enter Enemy Alien Registration Affidavit AND the name of the individual you seek the in the Keywords box.
    5. Select the limit results radio button for 1000.
    6. Select the box marked Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies.
    7. Press the Go button.
    8. When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link.

    From the Collection:

    Enemy Alien Registration Affidavit for Albert Sockland, 1918
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    ARC Identifier: 289064, Title: "Enemy Alien Registration Affidavit for Albert Sockland, 04/19/1918"

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  • Alien Registration Affidavits, February 6, 1918 - June 28, 1918
    179 multi-page registration affidavits of alien enemies have been digitized from the United States District Court,  Phoenix Division. The digitized material includes affidavits of people living in Arizona, but who were citizens from countries at war with the United States during the First World War. Men completed the form, "Registration Affidavit of Alien Enemy" while women used the form "Registration Affidavit of Alien Female." Information recorded on these forms includes a physical description of the registrants, a four-year history of employment and residence, birth data concerning the registrants and their immediate family, immigration and naturalization information, data on language fluency, registrants' fingerprints, and a photograph. The digitized material is held by NARA's Pacific Region(Riverside, CA).

    Search Hint: To retrieve the 179 multi-page digitized registration affidavits:

    1. Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/.
    2. Press the Yellow search button to go to the Basic search screen.
    3. Enter U.S. District Court for the Phoenix Division of the District of Arizona in the Keywords box.
    4. To retrieve the service record for only one person, enter U.S. District Court for the Phoenix Division of the District of Arizona and the first and last name of the individual you seek in the Keywords box.
    5. Set the Limit results to 100 hits.
    6. Select the box marked Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies.
    7. Press the Go button.
    8. When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link.

    From the Collection:

    (ARC contains descriptions of more than 5,900 affidavits however only 120 have digitized copies attached to them).  
    Registration of Affidavit of Alien Enemy for Rose Bremke, 1918
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    ARC Identifier: 294778, Title: "Registration of Affidavit of Alien Enemy for Rose Bremke., 06/25/1918"

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  • Intelligence Division Reports on Passengers, 1918 - 1919
    11 documents from this series have been digitized. The series consists of brief reports circulated by Customs Intelligence concerning foreign nationals experiencing problems with passports or other papers; foreign nationals under suspicion of being sympathetic to Imperial Germany during World War I; American citizens wishing to leave or enter the United States, or who have died or disappeared; and any other "suspicious characters." These materials are held by NARA's Pacific Region (San Bruno, CA).

    Search Hint: To retrieve the 11 digitized documents:

    1. Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/.
    2. Press the Yellow search button to go to the Basic search screen.
    3. Enter suspicious enemy aliens in the Keywords box.
    4. Select the limit results radio button for 100.
    5. Select the box marked Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies.
    6. Press the Go button.
    7. When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link.

    From the Collection:

    Intelligence Division Passenger Report: Dr. and Mrs. Hans Spoer, 1918
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    ARC Identifier: 296073, Title: "Intelligence Division Passenger Report: Dr. and Mrs. Hans Spoer., 04/03/1918"

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