History
The port of Le Havre (meaning "the harbor" or "the port") is located in the northwest region of France. It is situated on the right bank of the Seine River mouth and is a gateway between the Northern Seas and the Atlantic Ocean, via the English Channel.

Prior to the 1500s, Le Havre was a fishing village of little significance. In approximately 1517, Francois I constructed the harbor for colonial expeditions and it was named Havre-de-Grâce (“Haven of Grace”). The port began to function as an emigration port at the end of the Napoleonic wars, when mass movement once again became possible. As elsewhere, the shipment of persons was a by-product of commercial shipments and the docks at Le Havre were enlarged to accomodate the increased steamboat traffic on the Seine. The first major group of emigrants were Swiss and Alsatians.

In 1818, passage from Le Havre to America was 350-400 francs; in the early 1830s it was 120-150 francs. The increase in shipping dramatically decreased prices in transport and the majority of these ships were American.

In the beginning, emigrants booked passage directly with the ship captain, causing crowds of several thousand persons during sailing season to gather while waiting to leave. The wait often extended for weeks and emigrants waited in lodging houses, as well as outdoors. A German colony of innkeepers, shopkeepers and brokers subsequently developed to service the emigrant needs at the port. In 1837, the French government required Germans to present a valid ticket at the French border, severly limiting their entry and business at the port. As such, local offices began opening in Switzerland and the German states. Previously, the only document required to cross the border had been a passport.

Near the end of the 1800s and continuing into the next century, Le Havre operated as a major immigration port for many central and southern Europeans. Its port remained viable through the start of the First World War.