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From: "Jean Dalrymple" <>
Subject: [STANDLEY] tidbits
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 10:28:53 -0700


To:
Subject:TIP 278 - NATURALIZATION RECORDS

TIP 278 - NATURALIZATION RECORDS.
Naturalization records are among the most valued records for family
historians. In many cases, this is not so much due to the information that
they contain, as for what they represent. Before 1906, there was often very
little data in these records, but these documents remain an important piece
in the story of our ancestors' lives. However, these records can be
difficult to locate and understand. To gain a better insight into these
records, it is helpful to understand the procedures involved in gaining U.S.
citizenship.
There were three steps to the naturalization process:
~ Declarations of Intention (or First Papers) Normally the first papers
were completed soon after arrival in the U.S., depending on the laws in
effect at the time. Certain groups, such as women and children, were exempt
in early years. After 1862, those who were honorably discharged from U.S.
military service were excused from this first step. Until 1906, the content
of forms for declaration of intention varied dramatically from one county to
another and from one court to another. A large percentage of the first
papers created before 1906 contain very little biographical information.
Declarations of intention produced after 15 September 1906 generally contain
the following information: name, address, occupation, birthplace,
nationality, country from which emigrated, birth date or age, personal
description, date of intention, marital status, last foreign residence, port
of entry, name of ship, date of entry, and date of document.
~ Petition (Second or Final Papers). Naturalization petitions were formal
applications submitted to the court by individuals who had met the residency
requirements and who had declared their intention to become citizens. As
with the declarations of intention, their information content varied
dramatically from one court to another. Most petitions created before 1906
offer little in terms of personal information. After 1906, petitions contain
generally the same information as the Declaration of Intention.
~ Certificates of Naturalization. Most certificates of naturalization
contain only the name of the individual, the name of the court, and the date
of issue. Certificates were issued to naturalized citizens upon completion
of all citizenship requirements. As in the cases of declarations of
intention and the petitions, the amount of information provided on the
certificate may vary greatly from one year to another. In some cases, the
certificate will provide: name, address, birthplace or nationality, country
from which emigrated, birth date or age, personal description, marital
status, name of spouse, names, ages, and addresses of children, and date of
document.
Pre-1906 Naturalization records may be found at the local county courthouse,
county or State archives, or in the National Archives if the immigrant was
naturalized in a Federal Court.
For naturalizations that took place after 27 September 1906, request form
G-639 from the INS by downloading Form G-639 at:
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/g-639.htm Or, to have the
forms mailed to you, fill out the form at:
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/exec/forms/index.asp
IMPORTANT POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND:
* Many times the immigrant may have filed in one court, possibly near his
port of entry, and completed the process in an entirely different location,
so the declaration of intention may be in one place and the petition in
another.
* Not all immigrants completed the process.
* Many of these old records are not going to give us precise answers - and
if they do, the information may be less than reliable. Sometimes, incorrect
answers were given quite innocently and only because the immigrant had
honestly forgotten, particularly in later papers. Others may have provided
the wrong dates of arrival in hopes that officials would not know the
difference and that the wait to be eligible for naturalization would not be
so long.
* "Derivative" citizenship was granted to wives and minor children of
naturalized men. From 1790 to 1922, wives of naturalized men automatically
became citizens. This also meant that an alien woman who married a U.S.
citizen automatically became a citizen. (Conversely, an American woman who
married an alien lost her U.S. citizenship, even if she never left the
United States.) From 1790 to 1940, children under the age of 21
automatically became naturalized citizens upon the naturalization of their
father. Unfortunately, however, names and biographical information about
wives and children are rarely included in declarations or petitions filed
before September 1906.
-
For more information on Naturalization records, see the following sites:
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)--Naturalization Records
http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/natural.html
"Any woman who is now or may hereafter be married . . ."
Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940, by Marian L. Smith
http://www.nara.gov/publications/prologue/natural1.html
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)--
History, Genealogy & Education Page
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/aboutins/history/index.htm
Immigration and Naturalization Records Online at Ancestry.com
http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/immigration/main.htm
Naturalization Records Message Board at FamilyHistory.com
http://www.familyhistory.com/messages/messages.asp?category=topic&forum=Natu
ralization+Records
Bibliography:
"They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins,"
by
Loretto D. Szucs
http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/product.asp?pf%5Fid=12246&dept%5Fid
103002
Courtesy of Julia Smith, published by RootsWeb.com, Inc., RootsWeb Review:
RootsWeb's Genealogy News, Vol. 3, No. 5 2 February 2000. RootsWeb:
<http://www.rootsweb.com/>;
Col. Sandi Gorin, 205 Clements,Glasgow, KY 42141
(270) 651-9114 - E-fax (707)222-1210 - e-mail:
Member: Glasgow-Barren Co Chamber of Commerce
Publishing: http://members.delphi.com/gorin1/index.html
Barren Co: http://www.rootsweb.com/~kybarren/
TIPS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Tips
KYBIOS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Bios
ARCHIVES: http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.p

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