Imagine it is 1870. You are a citizen from the United Kingdom and on holiday in New York City. There happen to be federal elections during your time there. You go to the registration office to register for voting. Could that be done? How could they proof you are not a citizen? How could a citizen proof he was a citizen? Birth certificates are only common since early 20th century. How was that done back then? Looks to me it was extremely easy to pass as a US Citizen in the 19th century.
So how was it done? What ID did you need to show when registering for voting? Passports were not common, birth certificates were not common. Does anyone know how in real life this was done, proving you were a citizen when you showed up at the registration office?
Imagine it is 1870. You are a citizen from the United Kingdom and on holiday in New York City. There happen to be federal elections during your time there. You go to the registration office to register for voting. Could that be done? How could they proof you are not a citizen? How could a citizen proof he was a citizen? Birth certificates are only common since early 20th century. How was that done back then? Looks to me it was extremely easy to pass as a US Citizen in the 19th century.
So how was it done? What ID did you need to show when registering for voting? Passports were not common, birth certificates were not common. Does anyone know how in real life this was done, proving you were a citizen when you showed up at the registration office?
Imagine it is 1870. You are a citizen from the United Kingdom and on holiday in New York City. There happen to be federal elections during your time there. You go to the registration office to register for voting. Could that be done? How could they proof you are not a citizen? How could a citizen proof he was a citizen? Birth certificates are only common since early 20th century. How was that done back then? Looks to me it was extremely easy to pass as a US Citizen in the 19th century.
So how was it done? What ID did you need to show when registering for voting? Passports were not common, birth certificates were not common. Does anyone know how in real life this was done, proving you were a citizen when you showed up at the registration office?
Imagine it is 1870. You are a citizen from the United Kingdom and on holiday in New York City. There happen to be federal elections during your time there. You go to the registration office to register for voting. Could that be done? How could they proof you are not a citizen? How could a citizen proof he was a citizen? Birth certificates are only common since early 20th century. How was that done back then? Looks to me it was extremely easy to pass as a US Citizen in the 19th century.
Many years ago, before governments were in the habit of providing live birth documentation and proof of identity, a baptismal certificate was valid proof of citizenship. Because people didn't move around, churches took upon themselves the responsibility to know the souls in their area, and kept register of the same. For the previous generation, where not everyone had identity documents, these could be could be used in lieu of a birth certificate - although usually now they are only accepted if the birth certificate cannot be located. Technically even today, the State Department will accept it as secondary evidence of citizenship, but it is rarely used.
baptism - How does a baptismal certificate work? - Christianity Stack Exchange
Back then churches assumed a major role of keeping tabs on folks:
Thanks. First real answer so far. So if you registered to vote in 1870 you took with you a copy of the baptism certificate? Because I assume you did need to proof you were a US citizen, non-citizens couldn't (and still can't) vote in federal elections in 1870 (maybe with the exception of a very few states). I wonder if they could be fabricated easily. I am still inclined to think that it required virtually no effort to pass as a US citizen in 19th century America.
the real question is why would anyone in the 19th century want too fool anyone into thinking they were a citizen?
In order to stay legally.
Thanks. First real answer so far. So if you registered to vote in 1870 you took with you a copy of the baptism certificate? Because I assume you did need to proof you were a US citizen, non-citizens couldn't (and still can't) vote in federal elections in 1870 (maybe with the exception of a very few states). I wonder if they could be fabricated easily. I am still inclined to think that it required virtually no effort to pass as a US citizen in 19th century America.
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