Women Immigrating Solo

I’m always in awe of the courage and possibly the desperation that caused our ancestors to immigrate to America from their homelands. Many of our ancestors crossed the oceans as families, and many single men came over to find work or to own land, which they couldn't do in their home county. But what about our women ancestors?

My great-grandmother Anna came from Finland to Minnesota by herself in 1902. Her husband, my great-grandfather William, had come to Minnesota six months earlier to find a job and a place for them to live. I admire my great-grandmother because she traveled alone and

   1) she didn't speak or read English and

   2) while she spoke Finnish, she couldn't read Finnish. She couldn't read, period.

How did she know where to go? How did she know when to get on or when to get off the train?

My great-grandmother Anna was married when she immigrated, yet many of our female ancestors came to America by themselves; no family to meet up or live with, and no jobs set up in advance. In time, these single women immigrants became a big concern for the U.S. government.

Most of these single women became teachers, nannies, laundresses, maids, etc. However, the government was worried that if these women had no husband, family or job when they arrived alone, they may become corrupted by local Fagins or recruited by houses of ill repute, or worse, a public charge on the dole (lpc marked on the detainee passenger list = likely to become a public charge).

http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/Slovak-Americans.html

Women Detainees

“Beginning about 1903, the passenger arrival lists began to include a supplemental section for detainees. Many immigrants were detained for short periods of time at the port of arrival until relatives came to claim them. This especially applied to unescorted women, regardless if children accompanied them. A woman may have been held until her husband or other relative was able to come collect her, or at least until a response was received to a telegram informing the husband or relative of her arrival. Once it was confirmed that someone would be expecting her, the woman could be released to catch the rail to her final destination.”¹

http://www.geh.org/fm/lwhprints/htmlsrc2/m197701770074_ful.html

Did any of your female ancestors travel to the U.S. alone? If yes, do you know if she was detained as "likely to become a public charge"?

LLet me help you find out what parts of history your family had a role in.

Discover your roots and watch the branches of your family tree 

begin to grow.

pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com

For more information on my Family History Research services, visit TheMemoryQuilt.com and click on Family History Research in the left-hand column.

¹http://www.dvhh.org/dta/usa/general-research/alien_detentions.htm