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Almost always include:
Name of the immigrant
Country the immigrant forswears allegiance to
Town or court where the naturalization took place
Name of a witness, often a friend or relative
Birth date
Birth place
Date and port of departure
Date and port of arrival
Name of ship
Occupation
Address
Names, ages and birthplaces of wife and children
Year and place of marriage
May also include:
Photograph of the immigrant
Immigrant's signature
Additional documentation such as evidence of a name change
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Local, federal or municipal courts -- check with courthouses as found in
RootsWeb's U.S. Town/County Database:
http://resources.rootsweb.com/ cgi-bin/townco.cgi
General compiled sources such as the FHL Catalog:
http://www.familysearch.org/
Search/searchcatalog.asp
Immigration and Naturalization Service:
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/
aboutins/history/index.htm
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To find the country of origin for your ancestor
To narrow the timeframe to search for a ship passenger arrival list
To find clues of relatives or neighbors
To find an ancestor's signature
To perhaps find another version of your ancestor's name
To learn exact village or town your ancestor came from
To learn immigrant's birth date and/or place
To learn details of arrival in U.S. (e.g., name of ship, date, port of arrival, etc.) in order to find ancestor's ship arrival record
To obtain or confirm names, dates and/or birthplaces of wife and children
To learn occupation
To find marriage details
To find a photograph of the ancestor
To find evidence of a name change
To find reference to other courts where the "first papers" may have been filed (suggesting immigrant lived elsewhere for a while)
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