Censuses and Naturalization

Since several censuses contain questions relating to naturalization, they can be used to add details about an ancestor’s naturlization. For example, in 1900, we can learn whether an ancestor was still Al, an Alien; whether he had filed his PA, his Declaration of Intent (first papers); or whether he was Na, naturalized?

naturalization: U.S. Censuses Naturalization Questions
Year of Census	Naturalization Questions
1870	First census to ask if the individual’s father and mother were foreign-born. It asked: "Male Citizen of U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards".
1900	Included questions about year of immigration and naturalization status. Asked if the individual was naturalized or still an alien, with codes like AL (Alien), Pa (Papers filed), or Na (Naturalized).
1910	Continued to ask about father’s and mother’s country of birth, year of immigration and naturalization status using the same coding system as 1900. Also asked about the mother tongue.
1920	Added questions about naturalization year, providing more precise data on when naturalization occurred.
1930	Similar to previous censuses, it asked about year of immigration and naturalization status. Asked for the language spoken at home before coming to the U.S.
1940	Asked year of immigration and naturalization status. Also included questions about the individual’s place of birth and citizenship status.
1950 and Beyond	The 1950 Census asked about naturalization but did not specify detailed statuses. Subsequent censuses focused less on detailed naturalization questions, and newer ones relied more on specialized surveys like the American Community Survey (ACS).