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Naturalization Records at the National Archives in Pittsfield
By Jean Nudd, Archivist
Researching
naturalization records is one of the most confusing searches a genealogist
can encounter because, while granting citizenship would seem to be a
responsibility of the Federal government, for most of our history, this
process was handled by any number of different courts at all levels of
government.
Between 1789 and
September, 1906, the naturalization process could be completed at any court
that kept a record, using whatever form the court thought necessary to
ensure the applicant met the requirements for citizenship. Basic questions
included name, age, residence, and former allegiance (country of origin) of
the applicant.
With the
establishment of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) in 1906,
the process changed. The Bureau formalized naturalization procedures
including the use of standardized Declaration of Intent(ion) and Petition
for Citizenship forms used after September 1906. These forms required:
full name of applicant, address and occupation; exact date and place of
birth; date and port of departure; name of vessel, date and port of entry
into the United States; name, date and place of birth of spouse; name, date
and place of birth of children; and name, address and occupation of
witnesses.
Other major
changes occurred with the 1906 law. All naturalization matters were handled
by the Division of Naturalization under the BIN. Persons wanting to become
citizens were required to use a Federal District Court (or Circuit Court
until 1912) if there was one convenient to them. Otherwise they could go to
a state or county court but no court lower than the county court was allowed
until 1990 when applicants were required to take their oaths of citizenship
before a Federal District Court or any court of record in any state having a
seal . . . and jurisdiction.1
Additionally,
beginning in 1906, all naturalization files created in any court, were
required to also be filed with the BIN. However, no index to the records
at the Division of Naturalization or subsequent Immigration and
Naturalization Service, has ever been created so unless the researcher has
the petition or certificate number and court of record for their ancestor’s
naturalization, it’s easier to search court records then to request the file
from the U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Service.
So, between
changes in naturalization laws and procedures, researching naturalizations
can be challenging. First, researchers should establish where their
ancestor was most likely living when he filed his petition. Where your male
ancestor lived is important because, until October 1922, a woman’s
naturalization status was solely dependent on the man she lived with;
husband or father if under 21. Derivative citizenship for women ended
October 22, 1922 so if a woman born in the United States married a man from
Ireland, she was considered Irish under American law. If her husband became
a U.S. citizen before October 22, 1922, she automatically regained her
citizenship. If he didn’t, she had to file a separate petition with the
court for her citizenship. Some courts filed repatriations separately from
naturalizations. And few researchers would think to look for citizenship
information for their grandmothers born in the United States.
Waltham’s National
Archives facility holds women’s applications for repatriation, 1936-1969.
These applications were submitted under provisions of the Immigration and
Naturalization Act of June 25, 1936. Women born in the United States who
married alien men prior to September 22, 1922, lost their U.S. citizenship
and had to apply to get it back. Each application shows the individual’s
name and address, maiden name, place and date of birth, place and date of
marriage, reason for termination of marital status, citing dates and/or
supporting documents. It also contains the oath of renunciation and
allegiance and the order of repatriation signed by the presiding judge.
Age, occupation, present marital status, and a physical description of the
applicant, along with the date and place of birth of her husband, were added
in September 1941.2
If that’s not
enough confusion, add in military naturalizations. Starting with the Civil
War, to encourage military service, the Federal government started offering
shortened naturalization procedures to alien males who served in the United
States military. In 1862, aliens over 21 who served in the Army could
become citizens after only one year of residency in the United States and
did not need to file declarations of intention. In 1872, alien seamen who
served for three years on a U.S. merchant vessel could be naturalized
without any residency requirement. In 1894, the 1862 law was expanded to
include Navy or Marine Corps service and in 1918, any alien who served in
any U.S. military force during World War I could become a citizen without
any residency requirement.3 Sometimes, men became citizens while
on active duty so searching the court records where the man was stationed
(in the United States) may be another necessary step.
The National
Archives facility in Pittsfield holds mostly indexes to naturalizations
including indexes to the Federal Court records in Massachusetts, New York
and Pennsylvania. M1299 indexes all courts in the New England states from
1790-1906, Connecticut to 1939. This index gives name; residence;
naturalization information including date, court and numbers; with place on
the index card for country of origin, date of birth, date of arrival and
port of arrival. Few cards are complete. The index is in soundex order
with Connecticut and Rhode Island separate from Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire and Vermont. Within each soundex, the cards are arranged
alphabetically by first name and then by state, county and town, depending
on how many cards there are by that name. For example, if you’re looking
for a Michael Ryan in Rutland, Vermont, you’ll have to go through all the
Michael Ryans in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire before you get to
the ones in Vermont. (For a description of these records, see Walter
Hickey’s article in this issue.)
M1545, Index to
Naturalization Records, U.S. District and Circuit Courts, MA, 1906-1966, is
alphabetical by surname. The publication is divided into two date ranges;
rolls 1-27 cover 1906-1926 and rolls 28-115 cover 1927-1966. The important
information on the index cards is the petition number. If the petition
number is unreadable, as often happens, researchers should copy the person’s
name and date of admission. With that information, our Waltham office can
locate the petition number and the naturalization file. These index cards
hold quite a bit of information including name; age; petition number; issued
by; date of order of admission; declaration of intention number; court of
declaration; date of declaration; name, age and place of residence of wife;
names, ages and places of residence of minor children; and certificate
number.
M1368 is the
exception to the indexes rule in Pittsfield. M1368, Naturalization Records,
U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, 1906-1929, are the actual
naturalization documents. The records are filed by petition number on 330
rolls of microfilm. The records after 1929 have not been microfilmed but
the originals are available at our Waltham office.
M1676, U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New York, Alphabetical Index to
Petitions for Naturalization, 1824-1941, covers the Southern District Court
records only (New York County). These 102 rolls of microfilm are first
chronological and then alphabetical by surname. Unlike M1299 and M1545,
these records contain only names and numbers although some early cards may
contain slightly more information. There is no other significant data to
help researchers decide which Jacob Goodman might be their ancestor.
M1677, U.S.
District Court for the Western District of New York, Alphabetical Index to
Petitions for Naturalization, 1907-1966, covers the Western District Court
records only (Buffalo), on 20 rolls of microfilm. This index has a number
of abbreviations including dec for declaration of intention; pet for
petition for citizenship; m for military petitions; and, for example, 4-32
for volume - page number always on the right side of the index card. The
cards contain name, petition or declaration number, and volume – page number
only.
M1164, Index to
Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District
of New York, 1865-1957, covers the Eastern District only (Kings County).
This 142 roll microfilm series, is divided into three groups covering July
1865-September 1906; October 1906-November 1925; and November 1925-December
1957. The cards are arranged alphabetically by surname of applicant.
Index cards in the
first group include name; date of naturalization; and volume and record
number of the naturalization petition. These cards may also contain
address, occupation, birth date or age, former nationality, and witnesses’
names. Cards in the second and third groups usually include the address,
age, and date of admission to citizenship. The actual naturalization files
have not been microfilmed and are available only through the National
Archives facility in New York City (this same applies for the Eastern and
Western District Court naturalizations).4
M1208, Indexes to
Registers and Registers of Declarations of Intention and Petitions for
Naturalization of the U.S. District and Circuit Courts for the Western
District of Pennsylvania, 1820-1906, is on three rolls of microfilm. The
Western District of Pennsylvania was established by Congress in 1820, with
the seat in Pittsburgh. The records are filed chronologically by either the
date of the declaration or, if the naturalization process was completed by
the same court, by the date of the petition. Researchers locating their
ancestor in this publication should then copy the person’s name, whether
it’s a declaration or petition, date of the document, and the court (either
district or circuit) and send this information to the National Archives
facility in Philadelphia where they hold the actual naturalization files.
M1248, Indexes to
Naturalization Petitions to the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for the
Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1795-1951. These courts, established by
Congress in 1789, alternated between Philadelphia and York. In 1796, the
seat was permanently in Philadelphia. This 60 roll microfilm publication is
divided into three chronological groups, 1795-1906, 1906-1926, and
1926-1951. The first two groups’ index cards contain basically the same
information; name of alien, country of birth, date of petition, number of
petition and court (district or circuit). The third group’s cards also give
age, address, and the signature of the petitioner as well as any name
changes and, if applicable, date of loss of citizenship. Some cards between
1926 and 1930 also give the declaration of intention number and date as well
as names and ages of the applicant’s minor children.5
The last microfilm
publication relating to naturalizations held in Pittsfield is M2033, Laws
Relating to Immigration and Nationality, 1798-1962, and Directories of
Courts Having Naturalization Jurisdiction, 1908-1963. These two rolls of
microfilm contain court directories by date from 1908-1963 and
naturalization law supplements beginning in 1953.
_________
1Newman,
John J., American Naturalization Records, 1790-1990; What They Are and
How to Use Them. [Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1998], p. 18-19.
2NRABA
Court Records, RG 21, finding aid 21-25-64C.
3Schaefer,
Christina, Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States.
[Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997], p. 5.
4Buckwald,
Joel, “National Archives Microfilm Publication Descriptive Pamphlet: M1164,
Index to Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for
the Eastern District of New York, 1865-1957.” [Washington, DC: NARA,
1991], p. 6.
5Plowman,
Robert, “National Archives Microfilm Publications Pamphlet describing M1248,
Indexes to Naturalization Petitions to the U.S. Circuit and District Courts
for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1795-1951.” [Washington, DC:
NARA, 1983], p. 4.
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