Kansas, USA, Einbürgerungsauszüge, 1864-1972

This database contains details extracted from naturalization records created in Kansas.

Historical Background

The act and procedure of becoming a citizen of a country is called naturalization. Starting in 1790 with the first naturalization act, aliens who wanted to become citizens of the United States had to declare their intent in a court of law. From 1790 until 1906, there were no uniform standards for naturalization records, and various federal, state, county, and local courts generated a wide variety of citizenship records. After 1906 the vast majority of naturalizations took place in federal courts on standard forms.

What You Can Find in These Records

This database contains details extracted from various records for people who applied to become citizens of the United States in Kansas. Some entries provide only a name, declaration or naturalization date, age, and native country, while others go into more detail and may include any of the following:

• name
• birth date and place
• age
• country of origin
• naturalization or declaration date
• marital status (sometimes with date and place)
• number of children
• date and port of entry to the U.S
• ship name or mode of travel
• occupation

This database includes one volume that is an abstract to early naturalizations from Dickinson County (with a few entries from Marion, Logan, and possibly other counties). It lists only names with volumes and page numbers for record books listing declaration of intent, first papers, petition, and final papers.

The Naturalization Process

The first step for an immigrant wanting to become a U.S. citizen was completing a Declaration of Intention. These papers are sometimes called First Papers because they are the first forms completed in the naturalization process. These papers were typically filled out fairly soon after an immigrant's arrival in America, though there were times when certain groups of individuals were exempt from this step, such as aliens enlisting for military service for the United States during World War I.

After the immigrant had completed these papers and met the residency requirement (which was usually five years), the individual could submit a Petition for Naturalization. Petitions are also known as Second or Final Papers because they are the next and last set of papers completed in the naturalization process. They include an oath of allegiance and, depending on the form, affidavits or depositions of witnesses.