Chasing the Records-Application

Now that all our heads are spinning, let’s get down to basics and see how we can actually use this information. 

Born Elsewhere?

One thing to look for is if a person’s parents were born outside the U.S.  The 1870 census asked if a person’s parents were foreign born.  The 1880 and 1900-1930 censuses all asked the birthplace of a person’s parents.  If your ancestors’ parents were born in another country, then find the census records those parents are listed on and see where their children were born.  If their first child was born in another country, but the following children were born in the U.S., then when the children were born will give you an approximate year when they immigrated.  You should look first for ship manifests or border crossings.  All of our ancestors had to come into the country, but not all of them became citizens.  Some sources suggest that only about 25% of immigrants got their citizenship.  The ones that did often acquired it for economic reasons, to get a better job or escape discrimination.

The Naturalization Questions

From 1900 to 1930 the census asked specific questions about a person’s immigration and citizenship status.  All four censuses asked the year an immigrant arrived in the U.S.  All four also asked whether or not they were naturalized citizens.  Only the 1920 census asked what year they were naturalized.  The 1940 and 1950 censuses simply asked whether an immigrant was naturalized.

When using this information, try to find as many of the censuses from 1900-1930 as you can.  It will give you a more complete picture.  Armed with this information, now you can begin searching for their immigration or naturalization records.  Remember that before 1906 the records may have been in two different places, so you will need to determine where they were living in order to find the court where they may have filed. 

Of the naturalized immigrants I have researched, it seems as though most have filed their Declaration of Intention within three to five years after arriving in the U.S.  Most of those filed their Petition for Naturalization within five years after their Declaration.  Some immigrants filed their Declaration in the port city where they arrived, some waited until they got settled.  Be aware that it was a fairly common practice for the husbands/fathers to come first, get settled, and then send for the rest of the family.  If you find the ships manifest for your ancestors, be sure to examine it closely to determine if it tells you who paid for the passage and what was their final destination.

Analyzing the available censuses you have found for your ancestors can give you a starting point that you can use to find other records about your ancestor’s immigration and possible naturalization.  Armed with that information, you can research the record collections we talked about in Chasing the Records. 

If you need further help, or you want answers sooner than your research hours will allow, contact us or drop us a line below.