Maryland, Naturalization Indexes, 1797-1951

What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of six separate alphabetic indexes to naturalization petitions filed in the U.S. Circuit and District courts of Maryland from 1797 to 1951. Each index comprises a specific time period.

• Rolls 1 -18, 1797-1906
• Roll 18, Oct 1906-Apr 1915, Apr 1915-Apr 1920, Apr 1920-Oct 1925
• Rolls 18-24, Nov 1925-Dec 1951
• Rolls 24-25, An index to aliens who joined the U.S. military between May 1918 and Apr 1923.

The collection corresponds to NARA M1168. Index courtesy of Fold3 (previously Footnote.com).

The actual naturalization volumes vary in size and format. Prior to 1906 each document was usually handwritten on one page. From the late 1800s and on, printed forms were used. After 1906, many entries were typewritten. While there were various types of naturalization records, the Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petition usually had the most complete genealogical information. The first naturalization act was passed in 1802. Immigrants to the United States were not required to apply for citizenship. Of those who did apply, many did not complete the requirements for citizenship.

Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen. No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Naturalization records are generally well preserved, but some records may have been lost to fire or other disasters.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. New York’s counties recorded naturalization procedures in the court records as legal proof of citizenship. The courts handling naturalizations changed several times so the card index was created as a way to quickly access specific records.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

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