Finding your immigrant before 1820 – Why it’s so tough
No laws requiring passenger lists until 1819. As immigration to the new nation began to increase, the people who made money on shipping them needed regulations. Part of those regulations demanded better travel conditions and better record keeping. Published sources are often the best.
Sometimes early American newspapers recorded the names of arrivals at the ports.
No census existed before 1790 and when it begins it doesn’t tell much. In many places the early census was lost.
How do you know which George Adams is your George Adams? It is important to follow an immigrant's path and many times that is very challenging to do.
When you find that your John b. 1780 is supposed to have been born in Ireland you cannot assume this is true without more proof. Families frequently got the immigrant generation confused.
Indentured Servitude is a major force in immigrant lives
Travel was expensive. There were hidden costs. If you got to America without enough money to pay for ALL expenses you accrued during your trip and had no one here to help you they would not let your family off the ship until enough people in your family had been sold into servitude to pay for it. Adult service was usually 3-7 years. Children & adolescents bound till they were 21.
People who wanted servants traveled to port cities. They came aboard ships and picked who they would take. Weak or sick immigrants might not be chosen and they were still not allowed to leave the ship until they could find someone who wanted them. Many of these died.
Much online research for early American families is incomplete or filled with errors
You should always treat research you find online carefully knowing it may or may not be correct but when your family gets back before about 1840 you should double your skepticism.
The things that matter most to research in early America
families intermarried again and again; they moved and lived with their group/cluster. If you can identify the families they were with you will have decrease the chance of getting off on the wrong family.
People were usually part of a group.
religious groups – try to always know their denomination
ethnic groups
Families: In the 17th century many people were brought to the colonies against their will and without their extended families (particularly in the Middle Colonies and Virginia) They had to build a new cluster of "family" that often included neighbors, the people they were indentured to or worked for and sometimes later arrivals of their own families.
People who chose to come to America usually came with extended family. This is particularly true of the Dutch, the Ulster Scots and the Germans.
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Evaluate What You Have:
Take out your groupsheet and notes and evaluate every fact you have.
1. If you have no proof this is the immigrant don't assume based on heresay or online trees
2. Make a list of any pros / cons to support or not support the claim
3. Make a list of any surname seen with your immigrant family that shares the same ethnicity
Finding the origins of “what everybody seems to know”
Many times there is “going knowledge” about a family. This means it is on web pages; family trees; everyone you meet working on this family but you don’t know the source(s)
One place to look for this information is the FamilySearch Book Collection. Try searching for books on Morgan families in America - even if the book doesn't have YOUR Morgans they often begin with an overview of Morgans in early America. Some have documentation - others might make claims that are not substantiated with records. At least you might be able to find the source of why people think your Hezekiah Morgan was born in England.