As a general rule, until 1941, U.S. citizens were not required to have a passport for travel abroad. Aliens were Ineligible . As a general rule, the U.S. government only issued passports to U.S. citizens . Few passports were issued under this law, however. The earliest passport applications were generally handwritten letters, but by the 1860s most were submitted on printed forms.
Most applications state the exact town of birth, but some simply indicate the state or country.
Occupation is sometimes indicated. Foreign destination and the applicant's reason for foreign travel are stated on some applications. W. Morris of Boon County Missouri to procure him a passport to the Spanish provinces. The passport application for a naturalized citizen may also state the court and date of naturalization and the date and ship upon which the applicant immigrated to the United States. Evidence of the applicant's naturalization as a U.S. citizen may be detailed or cursory.