Your Guide to Finding And Using Naturalization Records

A quick survey: (links for further information, below) Step 1: Declaration of Intent (DI) or filing first papers.  With a few exceptions, this could be done only after residing in U.S. two years. (examples of an 1856 declaration of intent, and a 1927 declaration of intention.) Step 2: Petition for Naturalization, with a few exceptions, filed no sooner than 3 years after the Declaration of Intent. (examples of an 1856 petition for naturalization, and a 1940 petition for naturalization , Assuming all went well, this resulted in the issuance of the Naturalization Certificate (sometimes called "third papers").  These papers went  to the new citizen and may be in family papers. (examples of an 1885 certificate of naturalization, of a 1943 certificate of naturalization and a 1928 certificate of naturalization) See the Naturalization Records of Maria von Trapp N.B.: these two steps did not necessarily take place in the same court.   And, of course, nothing compelled people to take step 2 after time passed. The extent of information on these papers varies from date to date and court to court, but in general, there is substantially more information in post 1906 papers, when it was required that information be reported to the INS. Some Dates of Interest Pre 1790 only non British had to be naturalized. First naturalization law 1790. Naturalizations could take place in any court of record. The Homestead Act of 1862 required filing of first papers (but not necessarily taking the second step). An 1862 law allowed foreign soldiers, honorably discharged to bypass the declaration of intention. After October, 1906 all naturalizations had to be reported to the INS.  Inforamation taking was standardized and more information included on the records. Pre 1922 hardly there are few naturalization records for women. Abbreviations in census records relating to citizenship : AL --still an alien, had not started the naturalization process PA --" first papers" filed, that is the declaration of intent. NA-- process completed and person is natrualized. Content : -- pre Oct 1907; varied, but usually included name of applicant, identification of foreign ruler; might also include age and or birthdate, place of birth, date and place of entry into the U.S. -- post Oct 1907: name, age, physical description (sometimes including a photograph), occupation, current residence, point of embarkation, name of vessel or type of conveyance, place and date of arrival in the U.S. and last foreign residence. -- in 1916 added marital status and spouses name and residence. --in 1918 added spouses place of birth -- in 1929 added names,, date of birth, place of birth and the current residence of the petitioner's children, spouses birthdate, and his or her place and date of entry into the U.S. and the place and date of marriage.  (note: I've seen petitions earlier than 1929 that include information about the children). Online information Naturalization Records: What Are They? The State Historical Society of Wisconsin put out a nice guide to naturalization records , with helpful examples. The National Archives has a page about naturalization records in the NARA.  Also on the NARA site is an interesting article about women and naturalization records. NARA: Northeast Region (Boston) Naturalization RecordsConnecticut, 1842-1991, Maine, 1790-1991, Massachusetts, 1790-1991, New Hampshire, 1873-1977, Rhode Island, 1842-1991, Vermont, 1801-1982 Federal Naturalization Records at NARA's Central Plains Region (Kansas City, MO), includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Dakota Territory, and South Dakota. Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Courts (RG 21) at NARA's Great Lakes Region (Chicago), includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin Naturalization Records available at NARA's Pacific Region (Laguna Niguel, CA), includes Arizona, California, and Nevada Naturalization Records available at NARA's Northeast Region (New York City, NY), includes New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota Name Index to St. Paul, Minnesota, Naturalization Records (1859-1916), U.S. District and U.S. Circuit Courts, District of Minnesota Name Index to North Dakota Naturalization Records , U.S. District and U.S. Circuit Courts, District of North Dakota Name index to naturalization records, including declarations and petitions, U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska, McCook Division Name index to naturalization records, including declarations and petitions, U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska, Chadron Division Name index to naturalizations, 1846 - 1890, U.S. Circuit and U.S. District Courts, Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division (St. Louis) Search Selected Naturalization Records Online in ARC (Note: Very few are available online here.) Locating NARA Indexes to naturalizations This commercial service will locate and send records for a fee. I have no idea how much they charge or how good they are. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (was INS) website had a page on naturaliztion records, with a web page that follows the records of one person as an example of what you might find, but that page is currently (3/07) being reconstructed. Check here to see if is now up. German Roots offers valuable information and advice on several pages: * Finding U.S. Naturalization Records: A Genealogy Guide (not limited to German ancestors) * A list of online searchable naturalization indexes and records Dennis Piccirillo has posted a handy step by step guide to requesting your ancestors naturalization records from the INS. Neill. A Minor Naturalization (naturalization records for those who immigrated as minors) Searching for Women in Naturalization Records Immigration List and Passenger List Research Guide Section 8.0 Naturalization Records Take time to explore inforamtion presented on the very comprehensive and useful site naturalizationrecords.com. For more web sites, see Cydi's List topic: Immigration and Naturalization Books available online: Bredbenner. A nationality of her own: women, marriage and the law of citizenship. Carmack A Genealogists Guide to Discovering Your Immigrant and Ethnic Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage. (find in a library) Neagles. Locating Your Immigrant Ancestor: A Guide to Naturalization Records(out of print) (find in a library) Newman. American Naturaliztion Processes and Procedures 1790-1895 (find in a library) Schaefer. Guide to Naturalization Records in the United States (find in a library) Szucs. They became American: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins.  (find in a library)

 

 

 

 

 

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This page last updated March 12, 2009