Immigration and Naturalization

Immigration and Naturalization Class 5 Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist Meet today s presenter Rhonda R. McClure Senior Genealogist OVERVIEW Presentation (60 mins.) 1700s: : Immigration and Naturalization 1790-1906: Immigration and Naturalization 1906 and later: Immigration and Naturalization Q&A (30 mins.) Click to expand your user panel 1

Voice of Rhonda R. McClure Senior Genealogist Immigrants to the Colonies 1607-1640: primarily from the British Isles; estimated 100,000 arrived 1640-1783: primarily from the British Isles, Germany, Holland, and Africa (unwillingly); estimated 750,000 arrived 1783-1815: primarily from British Isles, Germany, Holland, Africa (unwillingly), and Scandinavia; estimated 250,000 arrived 1700s 2

1700s The American Colonies were more than just a place for individuals to seek new opportunities. For many, coming from England, it was the colonies or the gaol convict transportation. Many books have been compiled from such records. NEHGS Library Catalog Emigrants in Bondage Between 1614 and 1775 approximately 50,000 Englishmen sentenced to be transported to the American Colonies. A variety of records were combed to complete this volume. 3

Eastbury, James, Sentenced to transportation for 14 years for stealing cloth 1773. Gloucestershire. Easton, Alice, Sentenced for murder of child in Lent, Reprieved for transportation, 14 years, Summer 1751. Northamptonshire. Emigrants in Bondage 1700s There wasn t a United States of America, but that didn t mean there weren t naturalizations. As colonies of the British monarch, all records declaring allegiance were to the King of England. After the American Revolutionary War, steps would be put in place that would having a lasting effect on naturalization through the centuries. Denizations Individuals arriving in New York seeking British citizenship Granted by the Governor of New York or a deputy Could have been granted in London 4

Denizations Oaths of Allegiance A cheaper alternative in which the immigrant swore an oath of allegiance to the British monarch Open to those of protestant faiths Taken in 1664, 1674, 1687, and 1776 Oath I sweare by the name of Almighty God, that I will bee a true subject, to the King of Great Brittaine, and will obey all such commands, as I shall receive from His Majestie, His Royall Highnesse James Duke of Yorke, and such Governors and Officers, as from time to time are appointed over me, by His authority, and none other, whilst I live in any of his Maj ties territoryes: SO HELPE ME GOD. 5

Act of Naturalization In New York by 1700, letters of denization no longer an option Instead an act of naturalization by the Provincial Assembly was offered Subject to veto by the governor or the Crown Found in different record books Plantation Act of 1740 An Act for Naturalizing such foreign Protestants and others therein mentioned, as are settled or shall settle in any of His Majesty s Colonies in America Naturalized any Protestant alien who had resided in an American colony for seven years without having left the colony for more than two months would be considered natural born as far as the King was concerned Act of Naturalization 6

QUESTIONS? 1790-1906 Fledgling Country With the passing of the Constitution, citizenship was now to the fledgling U.S. government Passenger lists would not begin for thirty years 7

Passenger Lists Steerage Act of March 2, 1819 An act regulating passenger ships and vessels was the result of the especially high mortality rates on these vessels; epidemics of typhus, cholera, and smallpox motivated Congress Act limited the number of passengers a ship could carry For ships leaving the U.S., act outlined provisions required for each passenger Established the manifesting of all passengers on board The first steps taken These early issues with immigration and naturalization were the building blocks for subsequent laws. Two major steps were created during this time: Option to deport an undesirable immigrant Requirement to list on a manifest all persons on board a ship docking at the United States 8

First Passenger Arrival Jan 1820 Passenger List in 1865 Passenger List in 1880 9

Border Crossings Border Crossings From Canada to the United States: records begin in 1895 and are available online up through 1956 Some of the arrivals are recorded much later than the actual arrivals took place Border Crossings, NY: 1902-1954 Buffalo Lewiston Niagara Falls Rochester 10

Border Crossings, NY: July 1929 April 1956 Hogansburg, Malone, Morristown, Nyando, Ogdensburg, Rooseveltown, Waddington, Alexandria Bay, Cape Vincent, Champlain, Clayton, Fort Covington, Mooers, Rouses Point Thousand Island Bridge, and Trout River 1896 Canadian Border Crossing St. Alban s Crossings 11

Naturalization Records Early Citizenship Naturalization Act of 1790 required only two years of residency before an immigrant could claim citizenship 1795 revision lengthened residency requirement to five years Three years later things were hotly debated and major changes were made to the naturalization law Naturalization Act of 1798 Act Naturalization Act of 1790 Naturalization Act of 1795 Naturalization Act of 1798 Notice time no notice required 3 years 5 years Residence period 2 years 5 years 14 years Notice time was time between declaration of intent and petition for naturalization 12

Naturalization Act - 1802 Act Naturalization Act of 1795 Naturalization Act of 1798 Naturalization Act of 1802 Notice time 3 years 5 years 2 years Residence period 5 years 14 years 5 years Notice time was time between declaration of intent and petition for naturalization Naturalization Process Naturalization Process Declaration of Intent (1 st Papers) Application (Petition) for Naturalization (2 nd Papers) Certificate of Naturalization 13

Information Found Earlier records supply less information in each step of naturalization. Pre-1890, the majority of the naturalization records refer only to the country of birth, but they should not be ignored. It may also vary by records available online and elsewhere. Locating & Accessing Naturalization Records Naturalization Act - 1802 Act Naturalization Act of 1795 Naturalization Act of 1798 Naturalization Act of 1802 Notice time 3 years 5 years 2 years Residence period 5 years 14 years 5 years Notice time was time between declaration of intent and petition for naturalization 14

Keep in mind Because of the period of years between arrival, declaration and application, it is possible to find these records in three different places Prior to 1906 there are TWO copies of the declaration and the application: One stays with the court in which it was submitted One stayed with the immigrant to prove he had completed the previous step(s) Where to Look State courts Supreme Superior District Circuit Federal Courts Circuit District Marine Court New York County 15

Declaration Clinton Co., NY Declaration Clinton Co., NY https://familysearch.org/search/collection/list 16

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1999177 NY County Naturalizations Montgomery County, NY 17

Declaration Montgomery Co. NY Tip Not all pages may survive or are found together. QUESTIONS? 18

1906 and Beyond 1906 and Beyond Naturalization Act of 1906: standardized the forms used in the naturalization process and created a third copy of the records deposited in Washington, D.C. Immigration Act of 1907: continued to establish what constituted an acceptable alien Creation of Dillingham Commission in 1907 examined trends of immigrants from eastern and southern Europe Passenger Lists 19

Dillingham Commission Report New York Passenger Lists New York s port by this time was Ellis Island New York s passenger lists are the only ones to have had supplemental lists microfilmed: Record of Detained Alien Passengers Record of Aliens Held for Special Inquiry Remember: arrival port is contingent on the shipping line, not always the final destination Check nearby ports of arrival for your New Yorkers, along with Canada 1903 Passenger List 20

Tip The name was not changed at Ellis Island Identification Card 1907 Passenger List Part 1 21

1907 Passenger List Part 2 1907 Passenger List Part 3 1914 Passenger List Page 1 22

Board of Special Inquiry Page 1914 Passenger List Page 2 1910 Passenger List Codes 1910 BSI Page NY Lists 23

1910 Detainee Page NY Lists Naturalization Records Certificate of Arrival 24

Petition for Naturalization New York s Foreign Born 2,000,000 New York's Foreign Born 1,800,000 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 POPULATION 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 DECADES New York s Foreign Born 1850-1900 25

New York According to the Dillingham Commission s statistics, published in 1910, 2.75 million immigrants had settled in New York of primarily the following ethnicities: Canadians Germans Irish Italians Russians & Austrian-Hungarians Naturalization Hints Were they naturalized? Census records often supply you with the needed clues if a man was naturalized Some of the censuses also include the year of naturalization If there is a date of naturalization for a married female on the 1920 census that is likely either her marriage date OR the date her husband naturalized 26

1900 U.S. Census 1910 U.S. Census 1920 U.S. Census 27

1920 Census 1920 U.S. Census Immigrated in 1893 Listed as an Alien 1930 U.S. Census 28

1940 U.S. Census Women & Naturalization Women and Naturalization Beginning in 1855 alien women became citizens when they married an American citizen. American citizen women who married aliens actually lost their citizenship in the United States. Very few alien women naturalized before 1920. In 1922 women who lost their citizenship could repatriate if they were widowed or divorced. Later they could repatriate even if still married. 29

Repatriation Repatriation Repatriation was often necessary for those women who had married aliens and lost their citizenship. U.S. born men who fought for another country (such as Canada during World War I before the U.S. entered) would lose their U.S. citizenship. Applying for citizenship in another country was another way to lose U.S. citizenship. Finding Repatriation Records Repatriation records used Form N-415, Application to Take Oath of Allegiance to the United States Usually filed in separate volumes within the court ALL of the titles will include the word repatriation Found in RG 21 Records of District Courts of the United States Generally found at NARA Branches 30

www.archives.gov/nyc/finding-aids/naturalization-holdings.html www.archives.gov/nyc/finding-aids/naturalization-holdings.html QUESTIONS? Schedule a consultation consultations@nehgs.org Hire Research Services research@nehgs.org 31