Question Home

Position:Home>Genealogy> Passport laws 19th century?


Question:Can you provide a website or online sources that can describe practically why and or when a US citizen would need a passport for travel in the 19th century. I'm familiar with immigration laws, but passport laws in this time frame ellude me. I'm actually looking for a detailed site that will list each year the law changed, and how it affected the need for a passport for US citizens during the 19th century.


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Can you provide a website or online sources that can describe practically why and or when a US citizen would need a passport for travel in the 19th century. I'm familiar with immigration laws, but passport laws in this time frame ellude me. I'm actually looking for a detailed site that will list each year the law changed, and how it affected the need for a passport for US citizens during the 19th century.

Congress created the legal authority for passports in the mid 19th century. Check out:
http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/passpo...
Ancestry now has the early passports in their databases.

And this wikipedia entry also has info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stat...

I think the passport didn't start till 20 century after world war one/around time Woodrow Wilson president?? and numbers coincided with birth date?