Citizenship - Declaration of Intention

In my previous post I showed three cards for family members who had filed or partially filed for naturalization in the U.S.    Noting that the card of George Roe wasn't complete I found that he had only filed his declaration of intention or "first papers" and had not followed through with the process of becoming naturalized.

A declaration of  intention states that the person wishes to become a citizen of the United States and renounces all allegiance to any other foreign country.


Walter Leeming filed his first papers on 6th July 1901 at the district court in Central Falls, Rhode Island.   The document doesn't give very much information other than his city and county of residence at the time, in this case Lincoln, Providence, Rhode Island.   Because his son John Edward Leeming came to the U.S. as a minor, he was not required to file the declaration of intention.

Here is Walter's declaration:

These declarations are typically filed two or more years prior to the actual proof of residency and the finalization of citizenship.