Search for your ancestors in free Naturalization Records in U.S.A. and Canada. Find Declarations of Intent, First Papers, Alien Registrations, Passport Applications, Naturalization Petitions and Citizenship Certificates. Search substitute naturalization records - ships passenger lists, census records, oaths of allegiance, voters registration lists and more!
Revolutionary War Records
Revolutionary War Pension and Land Warrant Applications, War Rolls & Service Records
Civil War
Index to Pension Files of Veterans from the Civil War from 1861-1900, Widows' Pension Files, Slave Records, and more
Passports 1795-1905shows Citizenship, residence, family, date & place of birth, occupation
Newspapers 1865 - current Find ancestors in small town newspapers
Search Historical Newspapers 1690-1980 , Historical Books 1801 - 1900, Historical Documents 1789 - 1980, America's Obituaries 1977 to current, and Social Security Death Index 1937 to current on GenealogyBank.com
Find your ancestor's immigration or naturalization year. Search Passport Applications, Alien Registrations, Almshouse Records, Oaths of Allegiance, Census Records, City Directories, Land Records, Ships Passenger Lists, Newspapers or Voters Registrations
Passport applications are often a valuable source of genealogical information. Some immigrants applied for passports to return home to visit family or friends. These records usually give a place of birth or at least the destination (which is often the home town)
Did Your Ancestor Need a Passport?
Until 1941, American citizens were not required to have a passport for travel abroad. Exceptions to this general rule were:
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Passports were required from August 19, 1861, to March 17, 1862, during the Civil War.
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Passports were recommended, but not required, as of December 15, 1915, by Executive Order stating that all persons leaving the U.S. should have passports.
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Passports were required from May 22, 1918 until the formal termination of World War I in 1921 by treaties.
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Passports have been required since the passage of the act of June 21, 1941
Passports and passport applications can provide the following genealogy information: * family, marital status
* birth place and date
* name of wife
* residence
* father's name and place of birth
* naturalization year
* name of ship, port and date of entry (after 1900)
* photograph of ancestor
1865 Passport Application
found in Passports 1795-1905
Genealogy information includes name, age, physical description, State where resides, date of application
1900 Passport Application
found in Passports 1795-1905
Genealogy information includes name, age, father's nationality, physical description, occupation, residence, date of application
Index to Passports 1850-1852 [NaturalizationRecords.com has the images, we need a transcriber]
What Years are Available for American Passports
The first passport issued in USA was dated July 1796. However until 1914 American citizens did not require a passport to travel abroad.
After 1888 there were separate passports for native citizens, naturalized citizens and derivative citizens.
Where to Find American Passports
NARA has passport applications from October 1795-March 1925. The U. S. Department of State has passport applications from April 1925 to the present.
Passports before 1925 have been filmed by NARA and LDS church as passport records, passport registers, and passport indexes
Passports 1925 and later are found at
Passport Office
Dept. of State
1425 K Street NY
Washington DC 20520
Index To Passport Applications, 1850-52, 1860-80, 1881, 1906-23 [NARA M1848]
Use the Registers and Indexes first to find the application date and passport number, then look for the passport application.
Naturalization Records Help
Get help finding your ancestor's immigration or naturalization year in
Did you find your ancestor in our free Naturalization & Citizenship Records? Don't leave without searching for your family origins on Olive Tree Genealogy Free Ships' Passenger lists, family surnames, church records, military muster rolls, census records, land records and much more will help you find that elusive ancestor.
Enter your surname for a list of genealogy books with fascinating facts and history about your family name
* family, marital status
1865 Passport Application
found in 
1900 Passport Application
found in 
. (Baltimore, Md: Gateway
Press, 1982)
by Dorothy Williams Potter
(Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1997)
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