Daily AncestorOath of allegiance
The oath of allegiance was the sworn promise a new citizen made in court to support the United States and give up loyalty to any foreign ruler.
The oath joins two promises: to renounce every former sovereign, and to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States. Taking it in open court was the final act of naturalization.
Some people appear in court records with only an oath and no declaration. From 1804 to 1934, the widow and minor children of a man who died after filing his first papers could become citizens by taking it. From 1936, and more widely from 1940, women who had lost citizenship by marrying an alien could regain it by oath.
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Daily Ancestor. "Oath of allegiance." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/immigration/oath-of-allegiance. Last checked 2026-10-03.