Country of Arrival Records - Naturalization Records Pt. 3 We talked about the naturalization process and the different federal laws. What about the women, children and veterans? Didn't the same laws apply to them? Actually, these three groups were exceptions to the naturalization laws. Women: From 1790-1922, alien women received 'derivative citizenship.' That means, if her husband naturalized or was native-born, his citizenship was then conferred to her. However, a woman who was a US citizen (naturalized or native-born), could lose her citizenship if she married an alien! Wives are rarely mentioned in naturalization records prior to 1906. Could a woman naturalize on her own? When the Act of March 26, 1790, was repealed in 1795, there was no legal impediment to a woman naturalizing. She was not legally prohibited from doing so. Since women didn't have the right to vote until 1920, they simply weren't encouraged to naturalize, and many courts simply didn't honor her right to become a citizen. The history of women and naturalization is confusing. After 1804, the law focused on the plight of married women. Back then, a woman's nationality was determined by her husband. It was more common in the 1800s for a widow or spinster to naturalize, since it was believed they were more likely to need the protection of the law. Naturalization would allow them to hold property and appear as a 'person' in a court of law. If a woman obtained her citizenship through her husband's naturalization, she was *not* issued a separate certificate. To prove her citizenship, she would have to show her husband's naturalization certificate in conjunction with her marriage license. Many judges were simply unfamiliar with the naturalization laws and would grant citizenship to whomever filed for it -- this included criminals -- even if they didn't fulfill the residency requirements. This explains how some single women were able to naturalize. However, you are more likely to find a Declaration of Intent for a female ancestor and then discover her Petition had been denied. What if the husband filed his Declaration of Intent, but died prior to filing his Petition? By law, the husband's citizenship would then be granted to the widow and any minor children. In 1922, the Married Women's Act (or Cable Act) stated that a woman's nationality could *not* be determined by her husband. It also allowed women to naturalize on their own, regardless of marital status. Children: From 1790-1940, children under the age of 21 were granted derivative citizenship through their fathers. From 1824-1906, minor aliens who lived in the US for 5 years prior to their 23rd birthday, could file both the Declaration of Intent and Petition for Citizenship at the same time. Veterans: A major exception to the naturalization process occurred with Civil War veterans. Following an 1862 law, all honorably discharged Army veterans (of any war) could file their Petition for Citizenship after 1 year's residency in the US. A Declaration of Intent was not deemed necessary. In 1894, this law was expanded to include honorably discharged veterans of the Navy and Marine Corps who had served for 5 years. On May 9, 1918, this law was then expanded to include all aliens serving in World War I. They simply had to file their Petition. The Declaration and US residency requirement was not deemed necessary. NEXT: How to locate naturalization records in the New York City area