Database of transatlantic voyages, 1900-1914

The “Voyage Database” for migration across the North Atlantic was constructed as part of the research for the book, The Business of Transatlantic Migration, between Europe and the United States, 1900-1914, and related articles. In its primary form, the Voyage Database includes:

a) eighteen thousand rows covering all voyages of regularly scheduled passenger liners between New York, Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia and all European ports, from July 1, 1899 to June 30, 1914.

b) over sixty columns of data, including, for every voyage, passenger totals in first, second and third class in each direction) and extensive vessel and shipping line data.

U.S. Bureau of Immigration reports show that the four ports of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. received 89% of all immigrants to the United States from anywhere during 1900-14 and 93% of all immigrants from Europe. The ports covered by the Voyage Database also accounted for about 60% of the entire transatlantic migration flow (across the North and South Atlantic) then. (Keeling, “Business of Transatlantic Migration,” pp. 272-73, 281.)

KEY FINDINGS from the 1900-14 Voyage Database