Friday, June 10, 2005
Naturalization
12. NATURALIZATION RECORDSU.S. Naturalization Records (citizenship papers) are usually the best source for determining an immigrant ancestor's town of origin. All U.S. Naturalization papers after 1906 contain the new citizen's exact town of origin; papers before 1906 may or may not, depending upon the court.The 1920 U.S. Federal Census (see
National Archives) lists the year of Naturalization. The 1900 thru 1930 Censuses contain citizenship status for all foreign-born:"Na" = Naturalized citizen"Pa" = First papers filed (see below)"Al" = Alien The column is left blank for native-born, who are all automatically U.S. citizens.Before 1906, naturalizations could be performed in any court: federal, state, county, or local. There were no uniform procedures; the information contained in these records varies greatly from court to court. There are no centralized indexes to these pre-1906 records -- you need to know which court (but see WPA indexes, below).In 1906, the U.S. government set up the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which established standard forms and procedures. The INS was re-organized and became the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in 2003. All naturalization records after September 27, 1906 have duplicate copies filed at:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)FOIA/PA Section, Room 5304 425 Eye Street NW Washington, DC 20536 (202) 514-1554However, it can take a year or more to receive a response from the USCIS, using
Form G-639. Use the USCIS only as a last resort -- try to find the original papers at the courthouse (or the archive which inherited that court's old records). The USCIS has an index to all 1906-1956 naturalizations, but the index is not public.Naturalization records from most Federal courts are now located at the
National Archives regional branches. Start your search at the regional branch in the area where your ancestor lived. By mail, they will search their records, and charge you $10.00 if a record is found. If not found, they can recommend which courts or archives in the region are likely to have naturalization records.You can also search and view these records in person at the National Archives branches. Most of the indexes and pre-1930 records have been microfilmed, and are available through all
LDS Family History Centers, and some public libraries.For a few regions of the country, comprehensive indexes to pre-1906 naturalization records were prepared by the WPA in the 1930's:New England (all 6 states, 1790-1906) [
LDS microfilms].New York City (all 5 boroughs, 1790-1906) [
LDS microfilms].These card indexes are at the
National Archives, and are also available on microfilm through all
LDS Family History Centers.The LDS have microfilmed naturalization papers (up thru 1929) at many county courthouses over the last dozen years. To find them, look in the
FHLC Locality section under the heading: "[State], [County] - NATURALIZATION AND CITIZENSHIP".There are three basic types of naturalization documents:Declaration of Intention ("First Papers")Filed soon after immigrant's arrival.Petition for Naturalization ("Final Papers")Filed after required waiting period (usually 5 years). These papers contain the most information.Certificate of CitizenshipGiven to new citizen to take home. Does not provide much genealogical information, but useful for locating the other court documents.Naturalization laws are very complicated, and
have been changed hundreds of times over the years. For the best summary, see John J. Newman's book below.Some basic laws:Between 1855 and 1922, wives and children became citizens when the husband/father did. A woman became a citizen automatically if she married a native-born or naturalized citizen. After 1922, women had to file their own papers.
For more information, click here.Books on naturalization records:Newman, John J. American Naturalization Records 1790-1990: What They Are and How to Use Them. (Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1998). 127 pages. ($12.95). ISBN 1-877677-91-4. [Previous edition was: American Naturalization Processes and Procedures, 1790-1985. (Indiana Historical Society, 1985). 43 pages].Schaefer, Christina K. Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States. (Baltimore:
Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997). 394 pages. ($25). ISBN 0-8063-1532-6.Szucs, Loretto Dennis. They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins. (Salt Lake City, UT:
Ancestry, Inc., 1998). 294 pages. ($19.95). ISBN 0-916489-71-X.
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