Citizenship papers in the late 1800's

The American Party wanted to limit immigration and put forward a policy of twenty one year wait for citizenship in the mid to late 1800's. They more or less got their way for ten years until the Civil War.

There were increasing limits on who was allowed in as swathes of German and Irish settlers arrived to escape issues at home. The Chinese Exclusion Act prevented immigrants from that origin arriving at all. Those considered unsuitable such as the diseased, mentally impaired, or regarded as culturally dangerous were also refused entry. Entry to the United States had previously been administered by the various states themselves, but 1875 it became a federal responsibility.

Arrivals at Ellis Island....
http://classroom.synonym.com/process-did-immigrants-through-arrived-ellis-island-late-1800s-9519.html

To gain citizenship, an approved resident immigrant needed a sponsor from public service on application.

More info on immigration...
http://dcc.newberry.org/collections/immigration-and-citizenship

But the process you are looking for is here under the subject of Provisions...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalization_Act_of_1790

Edited by caldrail - 04 Dec 2016 at 00:58

IMHO, when the influx of migrants reaches such proportions that the culture of the receiving nation is being changed, that would be culturally dangerous.

Like the world wide drug problem, and the US Gun Laws, nothing. The horse has bolted.