Could YOUR Ancestor Have Lost Her Citizenship?!
Vložit
- čas přidán 30. 03. 2023
- In the early 1900s, thousands of US women lost their citizenship because of something common they did. Here's what caused it and how they fought to get it back. ➡️ Amy's proven strategy for finding your female ancestors: • Find Female Ancestors ...
✅ Check out Generations Connection, Amy's membership to help you discover more of your family tree: www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/connec...
✅ Pick up a free copy of Amy's guide "5 Online Search Strategies Every Genealogist Should Know: www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/search...
🔍 🔍 Find more genealogy and family history tips at www.amyjohnsoncrow.com
📙 Amy's book "31 Days to Better Genealogy" is available on Amazon:
amzn.to/3c2Nono
(Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
#genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry
Check out Amy's proven strategy for finding your female ancestors: czcams.com/video/VBu6MIKR6W4/video.html
I remember being absolutely shocked a couple of years ago when I first learned about the treatment of women under the Expatriation Act and the Cable Act. These were some of the worst U.S. policies ever. Thank goodness they were rectified.
Yes indeed! My 2nd great aunt went through this ordeal. She was born in 1870s in upstate New York State. At age 33, she married a German in 1906. They lived in NYC. He died in 1925. Then she married another German in 1928 in NYC before retiring to Florida to be close to her widowed brother~in-law and two unmarried sisters. Her brother was a US consulate and traveled all over and lived in several places. The 2nd husband died in 1936. I don’t know why she waited this long but her two remaining sisters vetted for her that she indeed was born in upstate NY and that they shared the same parents, etc. So in 1937 at age 65, she got her citizenship back!
I have not seen any evidence that the two husbands have applied for naturalization. But the the first husband applied for US passport because his father was naturalized and so that made him naturalized too. But if that was the case, why did she lose her citizenship? It’s possible she lost her status in 1907 after the law was enacted. Maybe she actually lost hers when she married the 2nd husband in 1928? I’ll keep looking for records on these two husbands.
One of these days, I'll need to tell you about my great-aunt's great-aunt Concetta's son, Francesco Papatolo. He immigrated to America with his parents and after marrying and having a couple kids, he was sent BACK to Italy. Why? We have no idea. But, when he was there he married a woman and had kids there. No one knows what happened. I know it's not the same as what happened with these ladies.
But, I have to wonder if something similar happened because as far as I know he never returned to America. I have a second cousin in Italy who never met his grandmother because she stayed in America. I showed him her picture and he was so excited! But, yea he has no idea what his father did to get kicked out of America.
Another super interesting factual video well researched and presented with clarity and using RL examples. Thank you :)
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This was the case with a sister to a great-great grandfather when that sister married her husband who was from England. She applied for (re)citizenship in 1939. The naturalization documents were chock full of genealogical goodies (parents, birth date, place, etc.). The most informative piece for me when I found that record was it listed their marriage date and location. I had searched many years for where and when they were married, but without much luck. Then tada! the date and place appeared in the naturalization file which then took my research to the county where they married (1917) and obtained the marriage record; which ended up being in a county far removed from where they lived.
My great great grandmother Emma (Forder) Plews Silliman Griffin Dutheridge was born in Indiana in 1849. She married her first husband in Indiana, her second in Minnesota, and her third in Washington state. She married her fourth husband, William Dutheridge, in August of 1908, in Jasper County, Texas. He was an English immigrant who had been married and was living in Boston for decades before he was widowed, and then moved to east Texas, but was not a U.S. citizen. I couldn't figure out how the two met and married, given they were from opposite coasts. He did not gain citizenship until after the Cable Act was passed, so Emma had to file second papers (it seems like first papers weren't required?) and then she took the Oath for citizenship. It was in her naturalization documents that I discovered that she and William married the day after she arrived in Texas. I suspect she may have been a middle-aged mail order bride. I only wish I could find evidence of *that* theory!
This one is really interesting.
My Great Grandmother Rose was born in US - Pittsburgh PA in 1896
In 1914, she married my Great Grandfather Andrew - an immigrant from Poland
So in 1914 she lost her citizenship based on this marriage.
Andrew's Petition for Naturalization says he declared his intention in March 1917. but by the time the petition was filed (August 1919), Rose had passed (October 1918). She is listed as his deceased wife in the spouse section. The petition was approved in May 1921 when my Great Grandfather was married to his second wife, Mary (who was born in New Jersey). They married in 1919, and Mary is not listed on the petition.
So does this mean that Rose would not have been a citizen at the time of her death?
What is the status of Mary - the second wife?
I will add that the 1920 US Census lists Andrew and Mary both as Alien.
the 1930 & 1940 Census shows Naturalized for Andrew but blank for Mary and the rest of the household. 1950 Census Citizenship column says "Yes" for Andrew and blank for the rest of household
I would think that Mary got her citizenship back based on Andrew’s naturalization in 1921, since that was before the Cable Act.
I'm surprised I had not come across this before now, thanks for posting! My great-aunt married a resident alien in 1912, and he was ineligible to become a US citizen for many years. But yet, nowhere have I seen any indication that my great-aunt lost her citizenship. Did the loss of citizenship require a court action? I will definitely go back and look at this.
No, the loss of citizenship did not require a court action. If she married a non-citizen, she automatically lost her citizenship. She did, however, have to go to court to regain her citizenship even after the Cable Act.
@@AmyJohnsonCrow Well, if my aunt knew she lost her citizenship, she never let on... Her DC from Dec. of 1954 lists her as a US citizen. Her husband received his naturalization about 6 months after she died. My uncle provides an alien or citizen status on the 1910-1950 census's, but my aunt's line is blank for that column. I suppose since they were self-employed it was just never an issue. They were somewhat unconventional, and Quakers. I knew my uncle had challenges due to being an immigrant from Japan, and that he mostly ignored them. But, I had no idea that my aunt lost her citizenship, and it seems she ignored that too... Thanks again, I always learn something from you!
Some women didn’t realize they lost their citizenship. Many who knew they lost it erroneously thought the Cable Act restored it automatically. It was a real mess.
Just viewed the video. I have something the same in the UK . My great aunt Mary Ellen Wright married Alexander Myers a German, He died and In 1916 Mary Ellen had to apply to have her UK nationality reinstated , as it stated by her marriage she had become of German nationality. I guess she was maybe having a tough time as this was during WW1 and ant-German fever was running high. I found the certificate and oath she had to take.
As missionaries in the Middle East for about 14 years, I was shocked to find out that I was no longer listed as an American citizen when I applied for my Social Security benefits! I was born in Sulphur, Oklahoma in 1951, but it took me 2 years to get this mess straightened out...and I lost 2 years of benefits during the meantime! No reason was given. My husband, who was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma in 1951, did not experience the same issues.
thats insane. i;ve never head this. thanks for the info
Fascinating story about a fascinating fact
Fascinating. It's strange that I have not ran across this in my tree, specifically with my great-grandparents. My great-grandma was American--born in Minnesota. But my great-grandfather was Dutch and never became a US citizen, even though he lived in the US from about 1914 until he died in 1964. The only weird thing I've seen is that they're missing in the 1930 census. I'm assuming they were not counted because he was still a citizen of Holland??
If he was a permanent resident of the US (rather than just visiting in 1930), he should be on the census.
Did they live somewhere else for a short time while the 1930 Census was being conducted?
How did other countries respond to this? Were these women considered citizens of other countries by the countries themselves?
Good question! The US can't just say who is a citizen of another country. Shows just how ridiulous this whole thing was fromt the start.
My grandmother was from Ireland, and when she married my grandfather she became an American citizen. What I'm trying to find out is if she had naturalization papers or not. Did she automatically become a US citizen or did she have to apply? I can't find anything about it on Ancestry.
Have you researched what the legal codes required at the time of the marriage? That would give you some pointers about whether it was automatic or not.
It depends on when they married. If they married before 1907, her US citizenship was automatic. If it was after 1907, she would have had to naturalized herself.
@@AmyJohnsonCrow Thank you, I should have mentioned the year, sorry, it was 1915. She said she was naturalized, so I guess I have to keep looking. Thank you.
It can also be a situation where she erroneously thought the Cable Act took care of it.
Thank you, Amy --what were they thinking when they made that law?!!
My husbands great grandmother didnt lose hers even though he was Canada. ........as far as I know.
Wow!! Interesting!!
This doesn't apply to the year 2023 does it?!
No. This was specifically between 1907 and 1922.
No.
I can guess the answer but I’m wondering if the same applied to American men marrying foreign women.
No, it did not. American men who married foreign-born women did not lose their citizenship.