United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906

What is in This Collection?

This collection is an index to naturalization documents filed in courts in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The collection is located at the the National Archives Northeast Region and is NARA microfilm publication M1299 part of Records Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

The majority of the records cover the date range of 1791-1906 but there are a few pages of outlying records from 1921, 1923, and 1932. The index consists of 3x5 inch cards arranged by state then by Soundex coded names of petitioners. For more information see FamilySearch Research Wiki article, Soundex.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. Most 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.

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).

The actual naturalization volumes vary in size and format. Prior to the late 1800s each document was usually handwritten on one page. From the late 1800s and on, printed forms were used. After 1906 many entries were typewritten. Naturalization records are generally well preserved, but some records may have been lost to fire or other disasters. The index is very accurate and the information that was current at the time of naturalization was usually reliable. However, there was always a chance for misinformation. Errors may have occurred because of the informant’s lack of knowledge or because of transcription errors or other circumstances.

While there were various types of naturalization records, the Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petition usually had the most complete genealogical information.

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

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records
Index cards

Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petitions

Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petitions post-1906

Collection Content

Sample Image

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  1921 Index Card