These records are simply lists of names of persons who signed the required oaths. They do not indicate when they arrived, or from what country. They do not indicate where they resided (other than the colony) or their age, or list any family members. All they suggests is that these persons came from, or were loyal to, a non-British country. During the Revolutionary War, some colonies administered loyalty or allegiance oaths to many adult males, of any ethnic group, to affirm their loyalty to the rebellious colony, rather than to England. While not true naturalization records, they do help establish a person's residence. However, it would be wrong to presume that a person's name on such lists indicated a foreign origin. A New Nation Leads to New Laws With the establishment of a new country, the United States of America, the new federal government acquired the responsibility to define citizenship. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to establish rules for naturalization. This they first undertook in March of 1790. This very liberal law was replaced in 1795 with a law which has, (except from 1798 to 1802) been the foundation of the naturalization process ever since.