Naturalization
records
If you are looking for information about families who immigrated to the United States from other countries, naturalization records are very helpful. This is one of the few pieces of information that
may pin down the date of arrival in the United States, the port of arrival, and possibly the port of departure. The forms changed over the years and different information was collected at different times. If you are interested in locating passenger's manifests, the port and date of arrival are critical pieces of information.
Generally you will find two sets of naturalization papers. The first was filed generally soon after arrival and is a declaration of intent to become a citizen. The second set was filed after the applicant had fulfilled a subscribed number of years in the United States and has a citizen vouch for his good character. Both sets of documents include the court dates for the action. These dates provide a secondary confirmation of arrival dates.
