Summary of presentation at National Archives Genealogy Fair 2012
By Christine Foster Meloni
Presenter: Patrick Connelly, National Archives, New York
Important Dates
Remember these important dates:
March 26, 1790
– The United States has come into existence and this is, therefore,
when the government began to record naturalizations. So don’t look for
naturalization records before this date!
September 27, 1906 – The INS took over and then the records became better. The forms were standardized.
September 22, 1922
– Women were now able to apply for naturalization on their own. Before
this date, they obtained citizenship through their fathers and their
husbands. So don’t look for the naturalization records of women prior to
this date unless you are looking for a single woman who was not with
her father. She could ask to be naturalized. But daughters and wives
were given “derivative citizenship.”
Interesting
situation: Women born in the United States received citizenship at
birth. But, if they married a foreigner who was not a US citizen, they
lost their US citizenship because they had “derivative citizenship,”
that is, it was dependent on their husband’s citizenship. (How unfair!)
From 1936 on a woman could repatriate.
The Process of Naturalization: Documents
- Declaration of Intention (It expired after seven years.)
- Petition for Naturalization – minimum of five years after the Declaration
- Certificate of Arrival (after June 1906 to verify when the immigrant arrived)
- Another
document is the Oath of Allegiance – not a separate document but part
of the Petition – sometimes not photographed because on the back of the
Oath
- Certificate
of Naturalization – issued to the new citizen, rare to find one –
Copies weren’t made, only the new citizen had a copy (You are lucky if
your ancestor kept his/hers)
Note: Consider the witnesses on these documents. Chase them down! They might be relatives or otherwise relevant.
How do you find out where your ancestor was naturalized?
You may have to search in different places but you need to search in court records.
- court in county seat or another large city in the county
- state court
- federal court
It
is best to start with federal courts, then state, and then county. Most
county websites are quite good today. Request the record by mail. Give
as much information as possible: name, date of naturalization, court of
naturalization or place of residence, petition number, date of
immigration, (missed others)
The National Archives has the records of the federal courts. The colonial records are in the archives of the various states.
Passenger Lists
Port of New York passenger lists are available from 1820-1957. All lists are in the National Archives.
Photos are required on Declarations after 1927 or 1928.
Name Changes
How could you change your name? Three ways: (1) by yourself, (2) at the
county court house, or (3) at the time of naturalization.
AN ANNOYING MYTH: Names were changed at Ellis Island.
No names were ever changed at Ellis Island because no names were ever
recorded at Ellis Island. The officials knew many languages since so
many immigrants did not speak English. They did not record names but
simply checked the passenger lists that had been prepared at the ports
of departure. Errors were made then at the ports of departure, not at
Ellis Island.
