World Archives Project

This sounds like a great idea. I do have a suggestion. Would there be a way to provide information on the process and testing of our access well before the day of keying? I tried to participate in keying data and was unable to do it. As I recall, I could not download something and email support did not provide an answer for me.

Regarding the registration of immigrants, I have a feeling that the big city political machines in New York and elsewhere played a major role in motivating these people to become citizens.

There is a great deal of historically significant data hidden in the records that we are keying. I can’t help noticing snips that puzzle or interest me. The periods when people, do or don’t chose to be naturalized being one. For instance, there seems to be more people born on the 25th December or the 4th July, than you might statistically expect?

Early keying for me, brought up another oddity – very few women were naturalized, turns out they were “done” when their husbands were and never made it to any records. What does that say about the status of women?

The early records keyed, for instance the UK Criminal Records, opened a whole host of other interesting areas to be investigated. For instance, the percentage of men to women featured in the data, the nature of their crimes and so on.

Politics were very much involved in getting the new immigrants to become citizens and voters. My ggrandfather was a court clerk and head of the Democratic party in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle had this to report in 1876.

A report of Sept 27th, 1876 states that the push is on as this is a presidential election year. They naturalized sixty-eight the first night. But as many as 700 a night were done the year before. Most of the applicants bear a card to the county clerk from the chairman of either of the political General committees. This card requests that the bearer be furnished with his naturalization papers.

Naturalization efforts were strongly connected to politics and jobs are also given out by the politicians at the time. They would help the immigrants to find homes work and then expected and received their votes! The courts normal hours are 9 to 4 o’clock. The paper states the court will be open every night in October until the 28th from 7 to 9 o’clock.

If you have done some of the New York immigration records,you might be interested in seeing the movie “Gangs of New York”.
It is an extreme dramatization of the polital situations you’re talking about.But you can see an amazing recreation of New City in the 1860’s.They built a huge set on a sound stage in Italy of all places.
I also read the book the movie is based on.I was surprised to find out how close to the truth some of the movie was.

There are a few things I see that make me wonder what the back story is.I keep seeing a man named Asa Way as a witness for the period right after the Civil War.I wonder if he didn’t work for one of these politicians?
No telling.

I think that would be a great idea for all of us to try to get on line at the same time on the same day and key at once. It might be difficult for some of us to be online at the same time due to work schedules and times zones but at least we could try for the same day. By the way, I really enjoy keying.

I agree, this sounds like a great idea! Keying is an enjoyable passtime. Thank you.

I would certainly be willing to participate if you want to do it, though I rather doubt if it would be possible to synchronize everybody!