Thanks to a lady known simply as Catherine, this is making the rounds on the Internet and may be helpful in terms of using census to determine naturalization, the process of naturalization, and using passenger lists. Let us know of your experiences with this information or any additional sources you have learned. There are THREE documents to obtain for U.S. Naturalization: (1) Declaration of Intent filed first and called First Papers. Here renouncement to a foreign government and intent to become a United States citizen were pledged. This was usually two years before application to become a citizen was done. Even if the alien never became a citizen, the Intent Papers should be on file. (2) Petition for Naturalization was the second step filed with the court. The alien would have met residency requirements of five years in the United States, one year in the state, and declared intention to become a citizen. (3) Final Papers or Certificate granting citizenship. Be sure to get all three. The first two contain the most information, such as, full name, date of birth, place of origin, date of arrival, ship arrived on, who their sponsor was, where they were living at the time of petition. To write for citizenship/naturalization papers after September 25, 1906: Immigration & Naturalization Service, FOIA/PA Officer, Chester Arthur Building, 425 I Street N.W., ULLICO Building, 2nd Floor, Washington D.C. 20536. Phone: 202-514-3278, Fax: 202-514-3902 Ask for Form G-639 or in a letter "RE: Freedom of Information Act", give Name, Date of birth, and place of birth, date of Naturalization if you know it. Note that the Naturalization Act of June 29, 1906 required issuance of a "Certificate of Arrival" for aliens filing a Declaration of Intention. Be sure to request this document...it will give you the name, date, and port of arrival. For citizenship documents before September 26, 1906 you should write to the INS Regional Archives, if done in a federal court; OR write to the state court, OR county clerk's office. The federal census can also help you with year of arrival, especially the 1900 and 1920. (Catherine doesnt explain why these are any better than the 1910 Census.) The 1900 Federal Census was done on 1 June. It provides the names of each person in the household & their relationship, race, sex, month & year of birth, age at last birthday, marital status, years married, number of children born & living, if foreign born, place of birth of each person and parents, year of immigration & number of years in US, citizenship status, occupation, read/write, language, home rented/owned, address, home/farm. It is soundexed. 1920 Census taken in January. Available for every State and territory. Usually it's the best starting point for your research. It is Soundexed. The census contains...Name of each person, relationship to head of family, home owned/rented/mortgaged, name of street, house number, sex, race, age at last birthday, single/married/widowed/divorced, year of immigration to US, naturalized or alien, year of naturalization, attended school, able to read/write, place of birth, mother tongue, father/mother's place of birth, speak English, profession, working. You can find Census records at all LDS FHC libraries, (call 800-346-6044 for a location or their website at www.familysearch.org) or at a large state library that maintains census records...some smaller local libraries have census records also, just call your library. To Write for Passenger Arrival Document: General Reference Branch, National Archives and Records Admin., 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20408. Form 81 - for Ship Passenger Arrival Records, Cost $10.00, or go to your local LDS FHC library and look up the document on microfilm for about $3.25 a film. You must know the arrival date, port, and ship though Many arrival ports have an index you can search for your surname. Passenger Arrival Indexes for arrivals to New York City are available on microfilm in the LDS FHC library for the following years: -Index 1820-1846 is Alphabetical on National Archives microfiche #M261 for 103 rolls of film. -Microfilms for the Passenger Lists 1820-1897 on NA#M237 -Index June 16, 1897-June 30, 1902 is Alphabetical on National Archives microfiche #T519 for 115 rolls of film. -Microfilms for the Passenger Lists 1897-1924 on NA#T715-3515 -Index-Soundex for July 1, 1902 - December 31, 1943 on N/A microfiche T621 for 755 rolls of film. -Microfilms for the Passenger Lists 1924-1932 on NA#T715: 3517-5118 -Index Soundex for 1944-1948 on N/A M1417 for 94 rolls of film. -Microfilms for the Passenger Lists 1932-1957 on NA#T715 5219-8892 There is no index for the years 1847-1896. Detroit Passenger Arrivals: the following years are on microfilm: 1906-1957.