These Old Passport Applications May Hold the Missing Genealogy Info You Need

Many family historians are not aware of the fact that millions of passport applications were collected by the US Department of State between the years of 1795 and 1925.

These applications are kept by the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) and are packed full of personal information that can help you in your research – such as birth date and location, name of father or husband, names of children, occupation and much more. In some case, there are even photographs.

Don’t think your US ancestor could have applied for a passport? You might be surprised to hear that travel was actually quite common during this time period. The National Archives points out that “Overseas travelers included businessmen, the middle class, and naturalized U.S. citizens who returned to their homelands to visit relatives.”

And although 95% of mid-19th century applications went to men, spouses and children were included if they were traveling as well. Because of this, the amount of information to be found in these documents is astounding.

Make Instant Discoveries in Your Family Tree Now
Imagine adding your family tree to a simple website and getting hundreds of new family history discoveries instantly.

MyHeritage is offering 2 free weeks of access to their extensive collection of 20 billion historical records, as well as their matching technology that instantly connects you with new information about your ancestors. Sign up using the link below to find out what you can uncover about your family.

The good news is that these records are now available online for free. In partnership with NARA, FamilySearch offers these records directly on their website. The images are currently being indexed so you can not search every single record yet, but you can search through many and others can be accessed through browsing.

Passport Application from 1924

record-image_3QS7-99D3-KFG4

To find the free online collection visit this page on FamilySearch. Use the search boxes first to see if you can locate an ancestor. Remember to search for a husband’s name as well if looking for a woman and try many spellings since errors in records of any sort are common.

If you cannot find your ancestors via search you will need to browse the images instead. You can do this by clicking on the “Browse” link on the database’s search page or by visiting this link and then selecting a collection by date. Use the FamilySearch info page for this collection for help with browsing information and more details about this database.

For further information, a wonderful breakdown from NARA on how to use these records in your research can be found right here.

20 Billion Genealogy Records Are Free for 2 Weeks
Get two full weeks of free access to more than 20 billion genealogy records right now. You’ll also gain access to the MyHeritage discoveries tool that locates information about your ancestors automatically when you upload or create a tree. What will you discover about your family’s past?

And be sure to look for passport applications elsewhere that relate to other locations, dates and purposes. There are a variety of collections available online that may provide valuable data about your ancestors.

By Melanie Mayo, Family History Daily Editor

Image: Florida Keys Public Library on Flickr “Sarah E. Miller passport application photo for herself and daughter, Elinor, born 19 April 1906, and son, Perry, born 20 November 1907, both at Port Tampa, Florida.”

8 thoughts on “These Old Passport Applications May Hold the Missing Genealogy Info You Need”

  1. Do you have pass[ports of people coming from Italy 1902 through 1904??!

    Thank you,

    Barb Mogush

  2. I wish these were indexed in alphabetical order! If I search place of birth (in this case Italy) and place of residence, it goes from surnames beginning with S to H, to A, T, etc.!! really time consuming to look through!

  3. l took out the free trail on april 12 4 2weeks,after 3days i was unable 2 access the site as it would not except my password,i sent numerous email’s 2 u asking u for my password 2 b sent in case it was the incorrect password.But my free trail expired on the 26april.On the 27th APRIL u took out £60.As i did’nt get the full 2weeks,of my trail i would like my money reimburse.And my free trail start up again,and for me to be allowed 2 put in a new password.As it did look a decent site with plenty of information.Plus i thought your site was £14.00 a month,so the amount you took out any way was far to much.I’m sure you can back track into my account that what i’ve z is correct.Please reply back soon KEITH

  4. FYI…. .In the article about passport applications by Melanie Mayo, under the picture, is a statement: “Remember to search for a husband’s name as well if searching for a women…..” . . . should be “a WOMAN”. Glad to have this information….just thought you might want to correct this error.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Send this to a friend