www.archives.gov
www.archives.gov
Are the actual Naturalization certificates, or copies, available online or elsewhere? I am particularly interested in ones from Connecticut, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Answers:
- A great place to start might be the FamilySearch Research Wiki. If you type in just the word "naturalization" (without quotes of course) in the search bar at the top right, and before you press "enter" or click the search magnifying glass, you will see a short list of available topics pop up to further refine your search.
- Be aware you may find that people became naturalized in places that seem to have no relationship to where they were known to have lived after coming to the United States. I was able to obtain the actual naturlization certificate of one of my great grandfathers who "always" lived in the New York City area after he came to the U.S. from Sweden. Obviously however, that wasn't entirely true, as his "citizenship" (naturalization) certificate from Washington State in 1892.
- --Chris
- John E. Burton
- You may also want to check Ancestry.com. Depending on the year and the location, some "Declarations of Intent" and "Petitions for Naturalization" as well as naturalization index cards can be found.
- Be aware "rules" and process for naturalization were different during different time periods in the US. So, you may or may not be able to find naturalization applications or information. Best luck I have had was for those who filed from about 1900 to 1931. Previously, some "naturalizations" took place in local circuit courts. One ancestor had to file a "declaration of intent" (in 1851) to become citizen with local circuit court. Later he went back to court and was "declared naturalized" and swore oath to US.
- John
- Finding a naturalization document varies upon the time period and location. I found my ancestor's 1844 naturalization in the county archives.
- 2008 rj
- General Rule: The Two-Step Process
- Congress passed the first law regulating naturalization in 1790 (1 Stat. 103). As a general rule, naturalization was a two-step process that took a minimum of 5 years. After residing in the United States for 2 years, an alien could file a "declaration of intent" (so-called "first papers") to become a citizen. After 3 additional years, the alien could "petition for naturalization." After the petition was granted, a certificate of citizenship was issued to the alien. These two steps did not have to take place in the same court. As a general rule, the "declaration of intent" generally contains more genealogically useful information than the "petition." The "declaration" may include the alien's month and year (or possibly the exact date) of immigration into the United States.
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