passenger arrival record - Document listing names of persons who arrived in the United States on a ship

paternal ancestors - Ancestors of one’s father

pedigree chart - Form for recording genealogical information on several generations of a person’s ancestors; also known as an ancestor chart

pension application file - Collection of documents relating to the application by a veteran or his dependent(s) for a pension based on military service

periodical - Publication issued at regular intervals, such a newsletter, magazine, or journal

perpetual calendar - Set of calendars for finding the day of the week for a given date during a wide range of years

petition for naturalization - Application for citizenship filed by an alien with supporting affidavits; also known as “final papers”

petition for probate - Written application to a court to admit a will to probate and give the executor authority to carry out its provisions

population census schedule - Federal census form for enumeration of the population at ten-year intervals since 1790

port of embarkation - Port from which a ship sails

port of entry - Port at which a ship arrives

primary source - Record created at the time of, or shortly after, an event by someone with personal knowledge of the facts, or the testimony of a person involved in the event

probate file - Envelope or jacket in which have been filed the probate records pertaining to the estate of a decedent

probate record - Record created in the process of settling the estate of a decedent

published source - Book, periodical, newspaper, microfilm, or other media which makes information widely available to the public