This index details the vessels that transported approximately 89,000 individuals to Baltimore during the 1800s. The data was sourced from the National Archives Microfilm Series M255, which contains Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Baltimore from 1820 to 1891. This Family Archive, which encompasses rolls 1 to 8, pertains to those who arrived between September 2, 1820, and May 28, 1852. The entire microfilm series comprises 50 rolls.
Most Baltimore passenger lists were collected following the 1833 enactment of a Maryland state law that required passenger lists to be submitted to the mayor upon a ship’s arrival. The information collected on those passenger lists and preserved in this database can help you create a well-rounded picture of your ancestor’s arrival in America.
As you know, the little details often help bring your family history to life. Because of this, we included more than just the basic information available about a person on the microfilm. For example, you’ll often learn the type of ship an individual sailed on. Types of ships include:
- Bark: A ship of three to five masts with the after-mast fore-and-aft rigged.
- Brig: A two-masted square-rigged sailing ship.
- Galliot: A small galley propelled by sails and oars.
- Ketch: A large fore-and-aft rigged boat with two masts.
- Schooner: A fore-and-aft rigged sailing ship.