This website inspired me to research my Italian ancestors. I went to the site on a whim and typed in my grandfather's name. I thought that I knew where in Italy he came from: turns out I didn't. Neither did anyone in my family.
I not only found out that my grandfather had come from Benevento, Teramo, Italy, but I also discovered that he had a cousin who had come to America prior to his arrival.
Within days, I'd made lists of other names to run through the search engine. When I ran out of my own names, I started looking for the ancestors of friends. The site is pretty addictive!
What you can expect to learn from Ellis Island Records:
For most people arriving after 1900, Ellis Island Records will give you the name of the town they came from, the date they arrived in the States, their age upon arrival, their marital status, gender, port of departure, and the name of the ship that carried them.
Records can be sparse for people who arrived before this time, and often only include a date or age. If your ancestors arrived before 1900, try a search for them anyhow. I did manage to find quite a bit of information on a relative who came over in 1896.
Most people are also linked to passenger lists/ship manifest. If it's been scanned in, you'll be able to see a picture of the actual passenger list.
Seeing the passenger manifest made the experience of immigrants more vivid for me. The record for my grandfather asked all the new arrivals if they were anarchists, bigamists, etc. Almost everyone answered 'no' to those questions, but you have to wonder what happened to the ones who didn't.
The ship manifest also includes information on where your relatives planned on going. Be aware that people did not always end up where they thought they would. One of my ancestors intended on heading for San Francisco, but he was talked into becoming a miner in upstate New York.
What to watch out for:
The website has many typos and spelling errors. Bonea, Italy came through as Bonca and Bonco. A quick look at a map of the province led me to the proper town name. Make sure to double-check the information you obtain from the website, especially the names of places and people.
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