CITIZENSHIP : UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : #3 EVOLUTION OF THE DECLARATION OF INTENT "FIRST PAPERS" : IS CITIZENSHIP A RIGHT OF BIRTH IN THE UNITED STATES

 ARCHIVES GOV : HISTORY OF THE DECLARATION OF INTENT (CITIZENSHIP)

Read here about the changes through history and the Old Law (1795 till 1906) in which various courts had different forms, and the New Law (in which the forms were unified).

The "3 papers" we often seek were in general from 1906 until 1952.

Excerpt: Waiting Period between filing the Declaration of Intent and more paperwork.

January 29, 1795 and June 17, 1798	3 years
June 18, 1798 and April 13, 1802	5 years
April 14, 1802 and May 25, 1824	3 years
May 26, 1824 and December 23, 1952	2 years

Remember that filing a Declaration of Intent does not meant the person(s) followed through and actually became citizens.

Check by state for "walk into the courthouse and swear on a Bible" Citizenship. A typical walk in would be a person who just turned 18, who was brought into the country by immigrant parents (or who was born in the country to them) and they didn't complete the process due to their deaths or some other factor. Such a person and their situation was usually known to the community.

Has BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP in THE UNITED STATES CONSITUTION - The 14th Amendment - always been interpreted the same way? 

This has become controversial.

Here is a link to THE FEDERAL REGISTER at the NATIONAL ARCHIVES (NARA), a Daily Journal of the United States Government in which President Donald Trump's notions have been published: A Presidential Document by the Executive Office of the President on 1/29/2025

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/29/2025-02007/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship

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A FATHER NURTURES A SON'S INTERESTS

 It's not easy to find a free downloadable vintage public domain image

 of a father nurturing a son.

I think the dearth of these images, compared to those available

 for mothers and Mother's Day, is telling. 

 

 

 

WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY COMING UP JUNE 15th : USC CENTER FOR ELDER JUSTICE

ELDERMISTREATENT USC EDU - JUNE 15 2025 

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. The purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.

image of grandma from Graphics Fairy

CITIZENSHIP : UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : RESEARCHING DEPORTATION RECORDS? : U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES #2 (LOTS OF GOOD STUFF!)

USCIS : FEE BASED DEPORTATION SERVICE 

Yes you do have to pay a fee for their research but there are exemptions.

There is way more here at the USCIS than DEPORTATION:

WHY MIGHT REQUESTING THE FILES FOR YOUR ANCESTORS TURN OUT TO HAVE MORE THAN ANY DATABASE? (My question.)

 Excerpt:

The question is important because it speaks to the most common misconception about USCIS historical records, namely that USCIS C-files are exact duplicates of court records. Yet C-Files are not exact duplicates of court records for three reasons:

1. Technically, the duplication is not exact because C-Files contain a copy of the naturalization certificate issued to the new citizen in addition to duplicate court forms. That said, if the C-File contains only a certificate, petition for naturalization, and declaration of intention, researchers might consider that C-File as little more than a duplicate of court records available from the National Archives (NARA) or from a courthouse.

2. Not all C-Files are small. Millions of C-Files contain a variety of additional forms and documents generated before or after the naturalization date. To see some examples visit the C-Files Image Gallery.  Please go to this link as it lists a number of documents that might be especially interesting, some I personally had not encountered.

3. Many C-Files relate to citizenship, not naturalization, and so contain no court records at all. For example, minor children listed on a father’s petition could later apply for their own certificate of citizenship, creating a derivative C-File. Read more about Naturalization Records Not Duplicated in Court Records, or review our table of Certificate Series showing the series-specific numbering.

It could be terrific to have a copy of the ancestors actual CERTIFICATE, which might have a photo of them.

Give this site some attention.  There is a lot to learn! 

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CITIZENSHIP : UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : CITIZENSHIP RESEARCH BE HELPFUL TO YOUR GENEALOGY QUEST and FAMILY HISTORY STORY : REQUIREMENTS FOR CITIZENSHIP CHANGED! #1

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : 

CAN CITIZENSHIP RESEARCH BE HELPFUL TO YOUR GENEALOGY QUEST?

THE ANSWER IS YES.

I think we should include a bit about what the citizenship laws were at the time our ancestors applied for citizenship, which might vary by state, and how they perhaps changed while in process. This can add some understanding to the history they lived through and the attitudes that prevailed about immigrants, ethnicity, and gender. 

You might be surprised at how long it took.

After the American Revolution, people might have not needed a Visa to enter the colonies, but simply have been sworn in after spending a number of years, which might be seven years or more, in which they proved themselves to be self-supporting and good neighbors (rather than criminal). 

The general term for this is "One Paper" naturalization.

Prior to that, if one lived in a state that was ruled by Great Britain, then they might have declared their citizenship as British - though they came from Germany. (And then they would, though having come from Germany and had a German surname, give up allegiance to the British King or Queen, rather than a German one.)

Recall that Great Immigration period caused by the Industrial Revolution, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, in which people moved from agricultural work to factories. For some time there was a process which started with "First Papers" called "Declaration of Intent." The Declaration in itself had to be updated if there was a change of address or more children were born, or if someone died. The process had to be kept up with, as it was considered suspicious if more than seven years went by and there was no further contact.  "Final Papers" are the NATURALIZATION ("Citizenship") papers.

Perhaps because they were Italian - or another "suspicious" ethnicity, an immigrant's citizenship applications were frozen because of World War I. You'll notice it's well after that war before the processing for them continues.

For some time it was only the Head of Household who could apply, implied is a husband, and when he got the citizenship it was for the whole family, his wife and children who were not yet adults. A widowed head of household could apply for herself and her children.

And then there were the women who would loose their citizenship if they married a man who was not a citizen.  (I consider that one particularly draconian!)

Women got the vote.  And with that came the right and responsibility for adult women to apply for their own citizenship.  But check by state because, for instance, women were allowed to vote in Wyoming in 1869, and Utah in 1870 for elections that were not national.

Try on this less thought of scenario.  Your ancestor came to the United States and was DEPORTED.

Yes it happened.

Or this one: THEY GAVE UP THEIR U.S. CITIZENSHIP BUT CHANGED THEIR MIND, and had to be REPATRIATED.

On the next couple posts I'm going to refer you to some web sites where you can find out more!

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ANCESTRY WORSHIP GENEALOGY BLOGSPOT

Our genetic and spiritual ancestors help us with our research quests 

and, while we follow a linear research path, 

amazing dreams and synchronicity abound. 

We explore multicultural ancestry worship 

and the use of genealogy for past-life verification, 

as well as practical ways and means to achieve your research goals.