In 1790 Nationality was created by the Congress of the United States of America when Anna Francesca, an American citizen born in Brooklyn, NY died and was given a marriage certificate by the US government. Anna Francesca’s husband, John Paul Jones, was not a United States Citizen by birth. Anna Francesca used her status as an American to petition the courts for an international marriage certificate and it was granted by the Swedish authorities on behalf of Anna Francesca.
Anna Francesca was listed as a foreigner because she married a Swedish citizen, not a US citizen but was never granted citizenship. The reason that Anna Francesca was not granted citizenship by birth or naturalization according to the United States Constitution is because of her citizenship status as a foreign national by birth which was not recognized by the United States government at that time. Anna Francesca’s husband, John Paul Jones, was not a legal citizen of the United States, but was a legal resident of the state of New York at the time of their marriage and he had obtained legal status in the state of New York as an immigrant with the year before being married.
Anna Francesca, Jones’ wife was legally married according to the terms of the law at the time but was not granted citizenship or naturalization according to the United States government and the reasons stated above, they were both citizens of the state of New York. This is one of the cases of women gaining citizenship through marriage while lacking the opportunity to become a naturalized American citizen through birth. Women did not gain access to the vote for suffragettes until 1872. Anna Francesca is not the first woman to acquire citizenship of the United States through marriage though. There are many examples like Frances Willard, who married an American in Mexico but never received a vote for her efforts to gain access to the right to vote.