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Archiver > GenMassachusetts > 1998-12 > 0913599093


From: Jeff Simonson <>
Subject: Re: Citizenship Question
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 20:31:33 -0500


At 05:13 PM 13-12-98 -0600, wrote:

>The Supreme Judicial Court in Boston has twice told me to check the
>1860, 1870, and 1870 census records to see how my great, great
>grandfathers answered the question re. citizenship.

>I have found that question on the 1880 census but not the others. Am I
>missing something?

Blaine -

I think your information may be incorrect. The 1860 or 1880 census does not
indicate if a person has been naturalized.

>From the NARA site "Clues in Census Records" located at:

http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/cenclues.html

"The 1870 census (column 19) has a check mark for "Male Citizens of the
U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards." If the person was a foreign-born
citizen, this means that he had become naturalized by 1870.

The 1900 census (column 18), the 1910 census (column 16), and the 1920
census (column 14) indicate the person's naturalization status. The answers
are "Al" for alien, "Pa" for "first papers," and "Na" for naturalized.

The 1920 census (column 15) indicates the year in which the person was
naturalized."

In addition, if you think your ancestor was naturalized before 1906, the
record should be located at NARA's facilities in Waltham. The Supreme
Judicial Court Archives will not have that record. You can contact NARA in
Waltham directly.

Their web site is:

http://www.nara.gov/regional/boston.html

You can also see read about naturalization records, in general, at NARA's
site:

http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/natural.html

Hope that helps.

Jeff Simonson
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Massachusetts Genealogical & Investigative Research Services
http://www.mass-doc.com

Voice: (617) 249-0323 Fax: (617) 249-0325 E-mail:

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