If you can to America as a child of say 4or5 years of age and your parents did not become a citizen would have had to file for intent when you turned 21 years of age? If your parents became citizens before you turned 21 would have become a citizen by default? Was there a process for keeping up with those who did not become citizens? Did most who came to America wont to and so at point become citizens? If you do not know in which state your family became citizen is there a department in the Federal Government to write? Kelly

Helle Kelly, and all. I think the answer to this question is--- it depends. In the early days, citizenship was granted only to the males in the family. Their spouses became citizens automatically when the husband did. I do not kow about the children, but think the right extended to them as well. Later on, both sexes had to apply independently. For a while, a woman who married a citizen automatically became one after a year. The reverse was that a citizen who married an "alien" lost her citizenship (ebven if they were living here!) and had to apply for it-- this happened to my grandmother, much to her indignation. During the Civil War, an alien who served received automatic citizenship. I do not think there is a central place for immigration papers--- they were filed wherever the person applied, so you would need to know where that was. Those records contain almost no information, however. Ther person's name, country (only) of origin, when they arrived in the US and their age at the time of applying. No address, no other family names, no occuaption-- so it is very hard to be sure it is your family, unless the name is unusual. The census records in 1900 and maybe 1910? indicate if someone was a coitizen; 1900 also tells when they arrived here-- if your folks were still around then. Hope this helps. BTW, many applied, buit others did not-- no real rule of thumb. Judith in OH