Naturalization List of Foreign Sovereignties and their Rulers


Record of the Month!
This month we are featuring a reproduction of a record that is part of our naturalization collection, which lists sovereignties and their rulers circa 1936.



Naturalization is the legal process immigrants go through to become citizens of the United States. The policies surrounding immigration and naturalization have always been controversial and divisive. Although, it is important to note that naturalization has always been a choice and not a requirement to live in the United States. The first naturalization law was passed in 1790, requiring two years of residency for naturalization. As the United States continued to grow through the 19th Century, policies surrounding naturalization became more complex due to rising number of immigrants choosing to become U.S. citizens.  

It was during the latter half of the 19th century that millions of Italian, Russian, Irish, Polish, Slavic, Asian, and Jewish immigrants flocked to the United States. The vast majority of newcomers were attempting to escape crop failure, economic hardship, and ethnic/religious oppression. Sadly many of the changes in naturalization policy in the decades immediately following the mass migrations where motivated by fear and bigotry, and had very little to do with adding value to America’s moral or intellectual character. Congress designed literacy requirements and quota systems to severely limit naturalization from specific ethnicities, as well as banning all Asians from becoming naturalized citizens.

While Congress set regulations to discourage Southern and Eastern European immigrants (specifically ethnic Italian and Slavic individuals) from naturalizing, local courts handling naturalization were left to determine the origins and allegiance of individuals trying to become citizens. Determining an immigrant’s national origins/allegiances became steadily more difficult between 1900 and 1950, as borders changed and countries were born or taken over. In an effort to help county Clerks of Court, the U.S. Department of Labor, Immigration and Naturalization Service began producing “Lists of Foreign Sovereignties and Their Rulers” for reference. The list displayed here dates to 1936, and includes directions for how to handle individuals from heavily disputed regions, including Alsace and Lorraine, Fiume, Schleswig, and Armenia.

Additionally, it is interesting to note that foreign republics are included in the list. Germany is formally recognized as the “German Reich”, while Hungary is listed as “The present Government of Hungary.”

For more information, please contact us at 740-670-5121, or at archives@lcounty.com.


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