FootNote
The new kid on the block, FootNote is known for digitizing historical
documents... many of which are genealogical gems. With naturalizations,
city directories, war records, newspapers, town records, etc... this new
kid is quickly being recognized as an alternative to Ancestry.
While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
The Naturalization Act of 1802 established the three-part naturalization
process which remains in effect today. Aliens must declare their intention to
become a citizen, observe a required residence period, and then petition an
authorized court for admission to citizenship. In character, this process is
both judicial (occurring before and by order of a court) and administrative
(being under the supervision of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
of the Department of Justice).
Initially, the alien files a Declaration of Intention with an authorized court,
indicating his or her intention to become a citizen, to renounce all allegiance
to any foreign state, and to renounce any foreign title or order of nobility.
Then, at least two years after making this declaration (but, after 1906, no more
than seven years later), an alien who has been a resident of the United States
for at least five years may petition the court for admission to citizenship
(since 1941, the requirements to file a Declaration of Intention has been
abolished and the residency record shortened for the spouses of citizens). This
Petition includes both the applicant’s oath and the affidavits of two witnesses
who attest to the residency and good character of the petitioner. Finally, if
the petition is accepted, the court issues an order admitting the individual to
citizenship.
