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 twenty-one 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=Naturalization+Records

Bibliography:
"They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins," by Loretto D. Szucs
http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog
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