Dan
I'm have a big fat argument here about wether a foreigner who came to
America, and wanted to stay, in the year 1900-1910, had to take out "first
papers", or could just stay, period.
Emerson.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Engel <dengel(a)seidata.com>
To: INJENNIN-L(a)rootsweb.com <INJENNIN-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Date: Thursday, October 07, 1999 7:47 PM
Subject: Naturalization
I just thought I'd chime in about the Naturalization process.
It's not a
very easy one to understand. Part of the difficulty is the lack of
uniformity prior to 1906. A good source to check is Christina K.
Schafer's book "Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States".
This book (I don't have a copy of this but your library might) is a
county-by county guide to available immigration records.
Okay, here's the gist of naturalization records. The process genereally
began with the declaration of intention (also called first paper) where
the individual stated his desire to become a citizen and renounced
allegiance to his native county. This paper is usually filed in a court
near the individual's residence but until 1906 any court could accept
it. When the residency requirement was fulfilled, he went back to court
and petitioned for citizenship and took an oath of allegiance to the US.
The first paper and final petition are not necessarily in the same
court, particularly if the individual moved during the process. After
1906 standard forms were developed for the naturalization process. These
records (after 1906) can be found with the Bureau of Immigration and
Natruralization Service and in the courts.
If you need any help with Jennings County specifically, let me know and
I'll see what I can do.
Terry
Jennings County INGenWeb Coordinator