District Court (Sixth District : Sevier County)

These volumes contain documentation of the final steps of becoming a United States citizen. They include petitions for naturalization, certificates of citizenship, and accompanying documentation. The first volume contains only certificates of citizenship. The forms provide date, applicant's name, former country and kingdom, and current county of residence. After 1906, courts were required to use preprinted forms furnished by the federal Bureau of Naturalization. The petition for citizenship an applicant filed included the individual's name, residence, occupation, birth date and place; place from which emigrated, date, port of arrival, and vessel name; date when declared his intention of becoming a citizen and court involved; his wife's name, birthplace, and residence; children's names, birth dates, birthplaces, and residences. Also included on the petition form were the affidavit of two citizen witnesses validating the individual's petition information and declaring he was of good

moral character. The oath of allegiance and the court order admitting the petitioner to citizenship are included. By 1920 space was added for memoranda of continuances, names of substitute witnesses, and space to record denial, not just the acceptance, of the petition. Declarations of intention, certificates of arrival, and correspondence are bound with the applications.

This series contains records documenting the naturalization process. While the beginning of the process was filing a "declaration of intention," these records date to the later step of petitioning the court for citizenship. Petitions were filed at least two years after declarations of intention, and usually include copies of the declarations of intention, oftentimes a certificate of arrival from the port or land crossing at which the applicant arrived in the United States, oral statements regarding his worthiness to be a citizen, written petitions, affidavits from witnesses attesting to the applicants' character and the validity of his statements. Once a court had reviewed these records, a judge ruled the applicant eligible or ineligible . If eligible , an oath was administered and the individual renounced his former citizens. A certificate of citizenship was then issued to the newly naturalized petitioner. These certificates are also included in this series.

Certificates of citizenship include such information as the date, the applicant's name, the former foreign residence, and the current residence. Usually, there was a standardized summary of the steps taken prior to the issue of the certificate. The applicant and judge both signed the certificate attesting to the applicant's admission as a citizen.

Petitions include such information as the individual's name, residence, occupation, birthdate, and birthplace; the place from which he emigrated, the date, port of arrival, and vessel name; the date on which he declared his intention of becoming a citizen and the name of the court involved; his wife's name, birthplace, and residence; and any previous petitions filed. When applicable, the petitions also include children's ' names, birthdates, birthplaces, and residences.

Also included on the petition form were the affidavit of two citizen witnesses who validated the individual's petition information and declared that he was of good moral character. The printed oath of allegiance and court order admitting the petitioner to citizenship are also included when available. By 1920, there is space for memoranda of continuances in the proceedings, names of substitute witnesses, and space to record the denial, not just the acceptance, of the petition.

Various corroborating documents had to be produced at the time of application and hearing. When included in this series, they are usually bound into the volumes or otherwise attached to the petitions.