Rhode Island, District Court Naturalization Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of card indexes to naturalization records in the U.S. District Courts in Rhode Island. Cards arranged alphabetically. Corresponds with NARA microfilm publication M2084 Indexes to Naturalization Records for the District Court, 1906-1991, and the U.S. Circuit Court, 1906-1911, Rhode Island and are  part of Record Group 21 Records of District Courts of the United States. The following indexes are included in this collection.


 * Index to Naturalization Petitions,1906-1991 (Includes Circuit Court, 1906-1991), Rolls 1-17
 * Index to Declarations of Intention,1906-1939, Rolls 17-21
 * Index to Declarations of Intention,1940-1984, Rolls 21-22
 * Military Naturalizations,1918-1940, Roll 22-23
 * Military Naturalizations,1943-1945, Roll 23
 * Overseas Naturalizations,1953-1956, Roll 23
 * Cancelled Declarations,ca. 1942-1948, Roll 23
 * Women's Repatriations,1936-1968, Roll 23

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Naturalization • 2

Sample Image
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. 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 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.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know: If you do not know this information, check the 1900 census and then calculate the possible year of naturalization based on the date of immigration. The 1920 census may tell you the exact year of immigration or naturalization.
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * Identifying information such as birth date, birth place, address or naturalization date

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
You can use naturalization records to:
 * Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
 * Confirm their date of arrival
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived, and then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and then in state, county, or city courts
 * An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process
 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct
 * Continue to search the naturalization records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have naturalized in the same area or nearby
 * The witnesses named on naturalization records may have been older relatives of the person in the naturalization process. Search for their naturalizations
 * You may want to obtain the naturalization records of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings. Realize that the indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings and misinterpretations
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes of nearby localities and courts

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Rhode Island.
 * Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
 * Rhode Island Guided Research
 * Rhode Island Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Rhode Island Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Newman, John J. American Naturalization Records;1790-1990: what they are and how to use them.'' Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998. FS Library 973 P47na
 * Szucs, Loretto Dennis They became Americans: finding naturalization records and ethnic origins'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, c1998 FS Library 973 P47t


 * Indexes to naturalization records for the District Court, 1906-1991, and the U.S. Circuit Court, 1906-1911,:M2084
 * Index to Rhode Island naturalizations, 1918-1968
 * Petitions and records for naturalization (Providence, Rhode Island), 1802, 1843-1945
 * Naturalization records, 1907-1991
 * Passenger lists of vessels arriving in Providence, Rhode Island, 1911-1943 ; index to passengers : book indexes, 1911-1934 ; card indexes, 1911-1954 : NARA publications T1188, T792, T518

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.