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Many European, English, and
Irish immigrants traveled to Canada prior to their arrival in the United
States. Some went to great lengths to hide this fact from family members
born after their arrival. Their decision to enter through Canada was due
to a variety of factors.
During some time periods, 1891 for example, restrictions were placed on
the number of immigrants who could arrive from another country. For the
English and Irish, there were few formal restrictions on travel to Canada
since it was part of the British Empire. In modern terms, it was the same
difference between a person flying from Florida to New York versus flying
from Florida to a foreign country.
The fares at any given time also prompted many immigrants to purchase a
less expensive passage and then travel overland to their final destination
in the United States. Many Canadian steamship and railway companies
offered lower fares than those for passage directly to New York or Boston,
thereby increasing the number of arrivals into Canada of those immigrants
who would eventually settle in the United States. Depending on the
source, estimates say that between 40-60% of all passengers to Canada were
intent on eventual settlement in the United States using whatever means
were necessary.
If an immigrant felt that he would face exclusion upon arrival in the
United States due to illness, mental health, improper documentation, or
other factors, Canada was the perfect first alternative since they had
fewer rules and regulations concerning immigration. Canada was more
interested in attracting settlers. This attraction to Canada was
especially true when an entire family emigrated from home together and any
family members had serious health problems. If the family arrived at a
port of entry in the United States such as Ellis Island, some family
members would have been detained and sent back while others would have
been admitted. This was an unacceptable situation for many immigrants.
Hence the decision to travel to Canada where restrictions were not as
stringent.
The records of entry into the United States from Canada from 1895-1952 are
known as the Canadian Border Entries through the St. Albans, Vermont
District. The title can be misleading because these records included
crossings from Vermont westward to Washington state. From 1895-1924 the
entire border between the United States and Canada was included. In 1924
the border was divided into the Canadian Pacific and Atlantic ports with
the records maintaining the St. Albans District title, as that was the
official record locations for these entries.
There are no official records for immigrants who entered the United States
from Canada prior to 1895. There was no official policy to monitor the
border areas. This was another reason why Canada was a very popular
alternative for those immigrants who chose to avoid coming directly into
United States ports of entry.
Bryan L. Mulcahy
bryanmulcahy@hotmail.com
Reference Librarian
Fort Myers-Lee County Library
2050 Central Avenue
Fort Myers, FL 33901-3917
Tel: (239)- 479-4651
Fax: (239)- 479-4634 |
