Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Jumping the Pond -- Lesson 3
Start with census records before researching naturalization records. You can locate your immigrant ancestor in the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 censuses, which recorded information regarding year of immigration and citizenship status.
Tip: Learn what the abbreviations on the census stand for. For example, AL= alien, PA= papers were filed/pending, and NA= naturalized citizenship. Also, start with the latest census and work your way back. Information might vary from census to census.
Once you have a good idea on when your ancestor was naturalized, use the year or range of years to search for naturalization papers.
The naturalization papers will more than likely tell you the exact town/location your ancestor emigrated from to the U.S. If your ancestor's naturalization record does not divulge the information you are looking for, then check the records of other family members.
That's it for now! Stay tuned for more ways to search the town and country of origin so you can jump the pond.