Immigration to America
The following gallery contains items that were used in students families, during the
process of immigrating to America.
Citizenship Papers
Russia
My artifact is my Great Grandfather David’s United States of America’s citizenship papers. He came from Russia to the USA over 100 years ago. My artifact is made out of parchment paper. The citizenship paper is the original copy that is a legal document from the United States Government declaring my Great Grandfather a full USA citizen. He also framed the papers and hung it in his house since he was so proud of becoming a citizen.
My artifact allowed David to become a full U.S citizen after he immigrated to the USA from Russia. He signed the document very proudly in the year 19--, which also mentions his wife; my great grandmother Anna who I am named after. My Great Grandfather’s story was that he emmigrated from Russia in the late 1800s/early 1900’s and worked in and loved the U.S more than anything else. He was so proud that his greatest accomplishment was gaining US citizenship and he spoke about it often to his family. My grandmother has the artifact in her house and she plans on giving it to my father so he can pass it onto me and my generation.
Citizenship Papers & Autograph Book
Austria & Staten Island
I brought in two artifacts, an autograph book and citizenship papers. My autograph book is made out of yellowed, old-looking paper inside. On the outside, the book has a leather cover. In the corner of the leather cover, there is the word autographs. The citizenship papers are made out of paper that is yellow and heavily creased. In the left, bottom corner, there is a big orange/red colored seal. My autograph book was used for my great grandma’s friends and family to write messages to her, usually in a poem form. My great, great grandfather’s citizenship papers are used to show his citizenship to America. My great grandma Bell’s autograph book came from Staten Island. My great, great grandfather, Harry Sanft, was from Austria and came to American through Canada. When my great grandma Bell was in high school in the early 1900s, she got an autograph book that she had her friends and family sign. She had kept this book her entire life and passed it down to her daughter, my grandma, who now treasures it. Harry Sanft traveled to Canada with his family in the 1800s because he wanted to go to America. He saved enough money to send his family to New York and then eventually met them. In 1904, my great, great grandfather became a citizen in America.
These are very special artifacts for me.