Naturalization Papers for G-Great-Grandfather Henry Hanigson and his brother-in-law Ernest Buse

I recently found my great-great-grandfather Henry Hanigsen's 'First' Naturalization Papers, along with his brother-in-law Ernest Buse 'First' Papers. To see how Henry is related please look at the report on the left.

The process to become a United States Citizen was a two step process. The first process, which is commonly referred to as 'First Papers' was filled out, which would vary somewhat from area to area, but they were basically stating when they came to the U.S., where they came from, and they were intending on becoming a U.S. citizen, and they were also renouncing any allegiances to their home country.

The 'Second Papers' usually were filed a few years later and required two witnesses who knew them to swear that they knew the individual who was applying and that the applicant was an upstanding person. After this, they were U.S. citizens.

A couple things I noticed on the papers. They were both filed at the same time, so Henry and Ernest both filed together. The date on the papers that they arrived in the U.S., was the same date, but while this often happened, family members coming together was a common occurrence where some of the young men would come over, establish roots and send for the balance of the family. But, I don't believe that was really the case, from what I have been able to find, I believe that they came separately, but who was to know whether they did or did not. Also, legend has it that Henry could not read or write English, and if you closely at the signatures, they seemed to be signed by the same person, I believe that Ernest signed both papers.

One of the reasons that the probably filed their 'First Papers' in 1868 was that they had just moved to what was to become Fergus Falls (they were the first settlers, along with another of their brother-in-laws, who married a sister of Ernest and Henry's wife, Ana), they were wanting to purchase land, and if you were not already a U.S. citizen, you had to have filed 'First Papers', thus I believe their motivation to file, as this was approximately 14 to 16 years after they came over to the U.S.