America Archives – Access Genealogy

The Original Lists of Persons of Quality

The Original Lists of Persons of Quality is an important printed source for the study of early English emigration to America in the seventeenth century. It offers a consolidated presentation of surviving official and semi-official records relating to passengers who left England during the decades prior to organized colonial record keeping in the United States. Researchers value the work for its accuracy, the breadth of material gathered, and the fact that it reproduces records that might otherwise require consultation across dispersed archives. For the period before regular colonial vital records and town records, these lists often provide the first documented appearance of an emigrant.

The Winchell Genealogy

The Winchell Genealogy was first published in 1869 by Professor Alexander Winchell and expanded until his death in 1891. His brother N. H. Winchell continued the genealogical work, distributing inquiries for more data until 1909. Despite delays from travel and illness, N. H. Winchell prepared to publish the material before his unexpected death in 1914. The manuscript was completed and expanded by another writer, incorporating insights on the Winchell name’s origin and its connections to the Wincoll family.

Genealogy of the descendants of John Walker of Wigton, Scotland

Genealogy of the descendants of John Walker of Wigton, Scotland, with records of a few allied families : also war records and some fragmentary notes pertaining to the history of Virginia, 1600-1902

Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrants

This article helps you access the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrants for free. Following two simple steps, one to search, and the other to browse the actual microfilms, you can quickly find your ancestors Revolutionary War pension record, or Bounty-Land record and download the images. During 1800-1900 the United States issued more than 80,000 pensions and bounty-land-warrants to soldiers of the Revolutionary War, their spouse, or their children. Was your ancestor one of them?

FamilySearch United States Census Records

Use this page as a quick link to all of the United State Census images available at FamilySearch.

The genealogy and history of the Ingalls family in America

Edmund Ingalls, son of Robert, was born about 1598 in Skirbeck, Lincolnshire, England. He immigrated in 1628 to Salem, Massachusetts and with his brother, Francis, founded Lynn, Massachusetts in 1629. He married Ann, fathered nine children, and died in 1648.

United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955

3,907 land management tract books containing official records of the land status and transactions involving surveyed public lands arranged by state and then by township and range. These books indicate who obtained the land, and include a physical description of the tract and where the land is located. The type of transaction is also recorded such as cash entry, credit entry, homesteads, patents (deeds) granted by the Federal Government, and other conveyances of title such as Indian allotments, internal improvement grants (to states), military bounty land warrants, private land claims, railroad grants, school grants, and swamp grants. Additional items of information included in the tract books are as follows: number of acres, date of sale, purchase price, land office, entry number, final Certificate of Purchase number, and notes on relinquishments and conversions.

Chronicling America Historical Newspapers

Chronicling America is a Website providing access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages, and is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC), is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers with descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages. Supported by NEH, this rich digital resource will be developed and permanently maintained at the Library of Congress. An NEH award program will fund the contribution of content from, eventually, all U.S. states and territories.

Ancestry’s Historical Newspaper Collection

Ancestry has placed 1266 historical newspaper’s in it’s collection covering a wide range of years. To make it easier to understand what is available, we have broken these down into states, and then alphabetically by name of the newspaper. The description contains the year(s) available for the newspaper, the number of issues is unknown. The newspapers can be browsed or searched using a computer-generated index. The accuracy of the index varies according to the quality of the original images. The images for each newspaper can be browsed sequentially, or via links to specific images, which may be obtained through the search results. Over time, the name of a newspaper may have changed and the time span it covered may not always be consistent. The date range represented in this database is not necessarily the complete published set available. Check the local library or historical society in the area in which your ancestors lived for more information about other available newspapers.

Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898

These township plat maps began with the Public Lands Survey in the United States initiated by the Land Ordinance Act of 1785, and this collection includes maps for all or parts of Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. Maps were prepared from survey field notes taken by deputy surveyors and can include physical details and man-made improvements. They also indicate township and section lines, section numbers, acreage of holdings, and sometimes names of landholders.

Old Medical Terms and Diseases

This document presents a comprehensive collection of obsolete medical terms and diseases, many of which recur in historical records. Definitions include conditions such as abdominal typhus, ablepsia (blindness), and various fevers, alongside treatments like remedies and surgical practices. Notably, terms such as apoplexy (stroke) and consumption (tuberculosis) reflect the medical understanding and challenges of past eras. This repository serves as a valuable resource for those interested in the evolution of medical language and practices throughout history.

Small Town Newspapers

Small Town Papers gives you access to the people, places and events recorded in real time over the decades or even centuries! Browse and search the scanned newspaper archive from 1846 up to the current edition! Their archives contain millions of names of ancestors not found anywhere else. Enhance your Ancestry research with their high resolution scanned newspaper archive. Find distant relatives and discover your ethnic heritage by reading the articles about family and friends written back in the day.

Glossary of Passenger List Annotations

List or Manifest of Alien Passengers for the United States of America

Ship passenger lists were compiled by steamship companies and submitted to the government, with annotations added by immigration officials for clarification or cross-referencing. Annotations at arrival include indicators for detention or citizenship status, while those made later denote verification for naturalization, file numbers, and other immigration checks. Specific notations like C/A, V/L, and W/A indicate necessary actions for naturalization verification. This system provides insight into the immigration process and the status of individuals upon entry.

Early Immigrant Inspection Along the US/Mexican Border

Sample List or Manifest of Alien Passengers for the U.S. Immigration Officer at Port of Arrival

Before the late 19th century, U.S. immigration laws primarily focused on European and Asian arrivals via seaports, with limited attention to land borders. The Immigration Act of 1891 allowed for some inspections along the U.S.-Mexican Border but focused chiefly on maritime entries. By 1906, systematic inspections began at southern ports with an emphasis on enforcing Chinese exclusion laws. However, many Mexican immigrants entered without formal records, complicating statistics and highlighting a growing divide between legitimate and illegitimate entries, necessitating increased inspection efforts.

Governor Houston’s Life Among the Indians

Detail from Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto

Following his failure to secure a contract for Indian rations, Sam Houston engaged in a series of contentious correspondences, criticizing officials and accusing Colonel Hugh Love of collusion. His passion led to public outbursts, including an intemperate proclamation against opponents. Despite his controversies, he was seen as an advocate for Indian rights, notably the Cherokee and Creek tribes. Houston’s deeper ambitions in Texas and his relationships with these tribes were marked by significant developments, including allegations of attempts to manipulate land settlements in their favor.

Governor Houston at His Trading Post on the Verdigris

In February 1828, Colonel Brearley led the Creek immigrants to the Verdigris, following governmental commitments from the 1826 treaty. During this time, Samuel Houston, a former U.S. Army officer and politician, was redefining his life among the Cherokee. After abandoning his political career and personal troubles, he became deeply involved with the Cherokee, adopting their customs and language. Houston’s influence grew as he criticized corrupt Indian agents and sought to improve conditions for Native Americans, eventually being adopted into the Cherokee tribe in 1829.

Colonel Dodge Reaches Villages of Western Indians

General Leavenworth’s expedition to the Wichita country faced significant challenges, suffering from sickness among his men and horses, leading to a drastic reduction in their numbers. Upon reaching the Washita River, Colonel Dodge took command of the reorganized force, now diminished to 250 men. Their journey included encounters with Comanche tribes, where they sought to establish peace and facilitate trade. As the expedition progressed, the troops faced further hardships, including loss of supplies and sickness, ultimately culminating in a crucial meeting with the Wichita tribe to discuss treaties and exchanges.

Mexican Border Arrival Records Glossary

Mexican Border Crossing in El paso Texas, 1917

The glossary outlines key terms related to the documentation of border crossings to and from Mexico. It includes definitions of Arrival Manifests, which record the legal entry of individuals, and various types of border identification cards introduced in the early 20th century. Additionally, it distinguishes between immigrant, nonimmigrant, and visa classifications based on U.S. immigration laws established in the 1920s, including quota and non-quota statuses. This framework aids researchers in understanding the complexities of historical border records.

Early Western Travels, 1748-1846

Early Western Travels Volume 1 Title Page

Early Western Travels, 1748-1846 comprises thirty-one volumes which contain accurate reprints of rare manuscripts. They were carefully chosen from the mass of material descriptive of travels in the North American interior which this century of continental expansion (1748-1846) provided, and no manuscript has been included unless it possessed permanent historical value. The result is a series which the casual reader will find interesting, and the historian, teacher and scholar, will find invaluable, as it makes available sources of information without which the development of the West, its history and its people cannot be fully understood. The editor has provided numerous footnotes and an introduction to each volume which contains a biographical sketch of the author, an evaluation of the book reprinted and bibliographical data concerning it. The closing volumes are devoted to a complete and exhaustive analytical index to the entire series.

Use Of Tobacco Among North American Indians

Tobacco, an essential cultural and spiritual element, originated in the Americas and was integrated into the lives of Native North Americans long before European contact. It played vital roles in rituals, ceremonies, and daily life, with various tribes employing diverse species of Nicotiana. Smoking methods varied, with pipes and mixtures often used, while chewing practices are less clearly traced to Indigenous origins. The use of tobacco extended beyond personal use to encompass significant ceremonial functions, underscoring its deep-rooted significance in Indigenous cultures across the continent.