President's Pen - October 2024
It is always a pleasure to attend a presentation by our own Christine Cohen and September’s talk on naturalization and citizenship didn’t disappoint. Christine posed the following question: “Do we have all of our ancestors’ citizenship information?” Before we can answer this query, we need to understand that the United States naturalization process has a complicated history. To successfully find these records we need to familiarize ourselves with the changing citizenship requirements over time.
Naturalization by the Federal Government was established in 1789 in Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution. Within a year, the Uniform Rule of Naturalization stated that any free, white alien male with two years’ residency could apply to become a citizen at any court of record. Within three years the residency requirement increased to three years before submitting first papers and an additional five years before the filing of second papers. Over the next 170-plus years, the process took many twists and turns until finally settling into something that only vaguely resembles the original process.
Christine noted that during the early years of applying for citizenship, the requirements were very basic: reside in the United States, have good moral character, and swear allegiance in a court of record. Speaking of swearing allegiance, my great-grandfather, Jonas Ivar Östman who immigrated to America in June 1881 signed the following:
State of Minnesota, County of Ramsey, District Court, Second Judicial District
I, J. I. Ostman, do swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America, and that I do absolutely and entirely Renounce and Abjure forever, all Allegiance and Fidelity to every Foreign Power, Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatsoever: and particularly to the King of Norway & Sweden whose subject I was.
And further, that I never have borne any hereditary title, or been any of the degrees of Nobility of the country whereof I have been a subject, and that I have resided within the United States, for five years last past, and in this State for one year last past.
Subscribed and sworn to in open Court, this 14th day of April 1890 – J. I. Ostman
There are numerous records that could hold clues to finding out if your ancestors filed for naturalization. The Federal censuses of 1820, 1830, 1870, 1890, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, and 1950 all include questions for foreign-born respondents about immigration and naturalization. Some state census records include questions also asking about immigration, naturalization, and residency in the state. Additionally, check military records, newspaper articles, voting records, and tax lists. Once you have narrowed down your search, check if you can get a digital copy of the declaration of intention or the actual naturalization document. What a treasure that would be.
Christine’s talk has encouraged me to find out how many of my foreign-born ancestors who arrived here in the 1800s applied for citizenship. So far, I have found that my German-born two times great-grandfathers, Anton Weis and Henry Doerges and my three times great-grandfather, Bernhard Laberman, all became citizens around 1870. My Irish two times great-grandfather, William Russell, immigrated to the United States from Canada in 1861 but waited to become a United States citizen until the early 1900s. Now I need to locate copies of their paperwork to add to my own genealogical treasure!