Rhode Island Naturalization Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The records in this collection consist of naturalization declarations and petitions for the U.S. District Courts of Rhode Island from 1907 to 1991. These records were digitized at the National Archive at Boston, Waltham, Massachusetts and are a collaboration with the National Archives and Records Administration(NARA) and Ancestry.com. These records are part of Records of District Courts of the United States Record Group 21 in the Records of the District Courts of the United States.

 U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Rhode Island
 * Naturalization Certificate Stubs,1.5.1907- 12.16.1911. NAID 3478025

 U.S. District Court for the District Court of Rhode Island
 * Petitions and Records of Naturalization,2.1842 - ca.1991. NAID 3432872
 * Declarations of Intention,9/1906-1919 NAID 3432858
 * Naturalization Certificate Stubs, 12/16/1911- 12/17/1974. NAID 3478044
 * Special Military Naturalization Records, 1942-1945. NAID 5822066

General Information About Naturalization Records

Naturalization is a voluntary process through which immigrants can become American citizens. By becoming naturalized citizens, immigrants are granted the same rights, privileges and protections as natural born citizens. Individual States handled naturalization until 1906 when the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization standardized immigration laws and procedures.

Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen is 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 general requirements for citizenship include residency in one U.S. state for one year and in the United States for five years The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen. Naturalization papers are an important source of information about an immigrant's nation of origin, his foreign and “Americanized” names, residence, and date of arrival. Naturalization records were created to process naturalization and keep track of immigrants in the United States.

Naturalization records are generally reliable, but may occasionally be subject to error or falsification. Be sure to search all possible spellings for the surname of the person for whom you are looking. Think about how the surname was pronounced, and how it sounded in the immigrant’s probable accent. Immigrants or their families often changed or Americanized the spelling and pronunciation of their names especially their surname, thus the surname may be spelled differently in records that were closer to your ancestor's immigration date. Also, because immigrants were allowed to naturalize in any court, they often selected the most convenient court. For example, if an immigrant lived in Maine, but worked in Vermont or New Hampshire, they may have gone to a court closer to work.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of naturalization

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.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the index and to find additional information.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information found in the record to find other records such as emigrations, port records, and ship’s manifests
 * Use the information you find in the record to find more details about the person you are looking for such as foreign and Americanized names
 * Use the record to see if other family members who may have immigrated with the person you are looking for are listed and have additional information or leads; you may also find additional information on new family members in censuses
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and probate records

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, 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
 * Check other possible ports of entry

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Rhode Island.
 * 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

 * United States. Department of Commerce and Labor. Division of Naturalization. Rhode Island naturalization records, 1907-1991

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.