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Passenger lists document the arrival of immigrants and travelers entering a country by ship. These records often contain specialized terminology and column headings describing citizenship, destination, occupation, and travel details. Understanding these terms helps interpret immigration records and migration patterns.
| Term | Definition |
| Alien | Person who is not a citizen of the destination country. |
| Arrival Date | Date ship arrived at port. |
| Berth | Assigned sleeping space aboard ship. |
| Cabin Passenger | Traveler occupying private cabin accommodations. |
| Captain | Commander of the vessel. |
| Certificate of Arrival | Document verifying immigrant’s arrival. |
| Citizenship | Legal nationality of passenger. |
| Country of Origin | Nation where passenger previously resided. |
| Destination | Intended final location after arrival. |
| Embarkation | Port where passenger boarded vessel. |
| Emigrant | Person leaving one country to live in another. |
| First Cabin | Highest-class passenger accommodations. |
| Head Tax | Fee charged to arriving immigrants. |
| Immigrant | Person entering country to settle permanently. |
| Immigration Inspector | Official examining arriving passengers. |
| Manifest | Official list of passengers aboard ship. |
| Manifest Line | Individual entry within passenger list. |
| Marital Status | Status such as single, married, widowed. |
| Master | Captain of the vessel. |
| Nationality | Country of citizenship. |
| Naturalization | Process of becoming citizen of new country. |
| Occupation | Job or trade listed for passenger. |
| Outward Passenger List | Record of passengers leaving a country. |
| Port of Arrival | Harbor where ship entered country. |
| Port of Departure | Harbor where ship began voyage. |
| Purser | Ship officer responsible for passenger records. |
| Quarantine | Isolation of passengers for health inspection. |
| Residence | Last place of residence before migration. |
| Second Cabin | Intermediate-class passenger accommodations. |
| Ship Manifest | Official passenger listing document. |
| Ship Name | Name of vessel transporting passengers. |
| Single Woman | Female passenger traveling alone. |
| Steerage | Lowest-class passenger accommodations. |
| Steerage Passenger | Passenger traveling in steerage class. |
| Ticket Number | Identifier associated with passenger ticket. |
| Transit Passenger | Traveler continuing to another destination. |
| Vessel | Ship transporting passengers. |
| Voyage | Journey of ship between ports. |
| Witness | Person verifying immigration information. |
| Year of Arrival | Year immigrant entered country. |
| Age | Age of passenger at time of voyage. |
| Family Group | Related passengers traveling together. |
| Literacy Column | Field indicating ability to read and write. |
| Physical Description | Description used for identification. |
| Sponsor | Person assisting immigrant after arrival. |
| Line Number | Number assigned to individual passenger entry. |
| Occupation Code | Abbreviated trade classification. |
| Detained Passenger | Individual held for further inspection. |
| Admitted | Passenger permitted entry into country. |
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