Immigrants to the United States have never been required to apply for citizenship. An immigrant could become a citizen anytime after they arrived in the United States. Of those who applied, many did not complete the requirements to become a citizen. Of the foreign-born persons listed on 1890 through 1930 censuses, 25 percent had not become naturalized or filed their "first papers."
 
From the first naturalization law passed by Congress in 1790 through much of the 20th century, an alien could become naturalized in any court of record. Thus, most people went to the court most convenient to them, usually a county court. The names and types of courts vary from State to State. The names and types of courts have also varied during different periods of history--but may include the county, supreme, circuit, district, equity, chancery, probate, or common pleas court.
 
The typical naturalization process involved three steps:
 

1. Declaration of Intention. The immigrant filed a declaration of intention (also called first papers) to renounce allegiance to foreign governments and to later prove he or she had resided in the country long enough to apply for citizenship. Residency laws changed consistently over time ranging from no residency requirement (meaning they could declare right after they "came off the boat") to 14 years residency. However, an immigrant filed a declaration of intention up to two years after he immigrated to the United States. The immigrant could declare any time after he arrived after fulfilling the residency requirement. Some immigrants waited as late as 20 years after coming to the United States to begin the process to become a citizen. There are some exceptions to the naturalization process where the immigrant was not required to file a declaration.
2. Petition. The immigrant had to wait anywhere between one to three years after he filed his declaration to file his petition for citizenship (also called second or final papers). Most often the petition was filed in a court nearest to the town where the immigrant settled. An Oath of Allegiance was also signed to pledge the immigrant’s allegiance to the United States and sign a written oath.
3. Certificate. After all requirements were completed, the immigrant was sworn in as a citizen and issued his or her certificate. The certificate is given by the same court the petition is filed in. It is called the Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization.

 
 
Before 1906, the information recorded on naturalization records differed widely. Naturalization records before 1906 are not likely to give town of origin or names of parents. However, naturalization records after 1906 contain more information than earlier records. Information in post-1906 records is more detailed and may include birth dates, birth places, and other immigration information about the immigrant and members of his family.
 
In 1855, derivative citizenship (obtaining one's citizenship from another person) was also available for immigrant women marrying U.S citizens, or if their husbands obtained their citizenship during their marriage. The wife's proof that she was a U.S. citizen was her husband's certificate of citizenship (or certificate of naturalization) and her marriage certificate.
 
In 1922, citizenship was no longer available to women through marriage. However, from 1907 to 1922, a woman could lose her U.S. citizenship if she married an alien, even if she was born in the United States. For more information, read Marian L. Smith's article, Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940.
 
Unless a woman was single or widowed, she had few reasons to naturalize prior to the twentieth century. Women, foreign-born or native, could not vote. Until the mid-nineteenth century, women typically did not hold property or appear as "persons" before the law. Under these circumstances, only widows and spinsters would be expected to seek the protections U.S. citizenship might afford. One might also remember that naturalization involved the payment of court fees. Without any tangible benefit resulting from a woman's naturalization, it is doubtful that many women or their husbands considered the fees to be money well spent.
 
For more information on the Naturalization Records and how to find them see:
https://www.archives.gov/research/naturalization/naturalization.html
 
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/United_States_Naturalization_and_Citizenship
 
Sources:  Family Search wiki and US National Archives website.

• Erfurt, Germany, Deaths, 1874-1935 (new)
• Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901 (updated)
• Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Germany, Births, 1874-1905 (new)
• Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Germany, Deaths, 1874-1971 (new)
• Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Germany, Marriages, 1874-1935 (new)

German research, visit to the homeland – Jeanne Fogler Meek’s genealogy