Application for Original Certificate for Lee Sam
7/6/1905
Add to Favorites:
Add all page(s) of this document to activity:
Add only page 1 to activity:
Add only page 2 to activity:
Add only page 3 to activity:
Add only page 4 to activity:
Add only page 5 to activity:
Add only page 6 to activity:
Add only page 7 to activity:
Add only page 8 to activity:
Add only page 9 to activity:
Add only page 10 to activity:
Add only page 11 to activity:
Add only page 12 to activity:
Add only page 13 to activity:
This item includes a request, discussion, and approval of the Original Certificate of Residence for Lee Sam in Wyoming.
In 1900 the Office of the Superintendent of Immigration, which had been established in the Department of the Treasury in 1891, became the chief agency responsible for implementing Federal regulations mandated by the Chinese exclusion laws. Both the Chinese Bureau within the Customs Service and the Chinese Division of the INS employed "Chinese" inspectors, people designated to enforce the Chinese exclusion laws. Immigration-related decisions made by these Federal officials were sometimes appealed to Federal courts, which also heard criminal cases involving Chinese alleged to be living in the United States illegally. This document is featured in "The Chinese Exclusion Act: Researching in the National Archives," available on iBooks.
In 1900 the Office of the Superintendent of Immigration, which had been established in the Department of the Treasury in 1891, became the chief agency responsible for implementing Federal regulations mandated by the Chinese exclusion laws. Both the Chinese Bureau within the Customs Service and the Chinese Division of the INS employed "Chinese" inspectors, people designated to enforce the Chinese exclusion laws. Immigration-related decisions made by these Federal officials were sometimes appealed to Federal courts, which also heard criminal cases involving Chinese alleged to be living in the United States illegally. This document is featured in "The Chinese Exclusion Act: Researching in the National Archives," available on iBooks.
Transcript
APPLICATION FOR ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE.TO THE HON. COMMISSIONER-GENERAL OF IMMIGRATION,
WASHINGTON, D.C. :-
LEE SAM, a Chinaman, residing in Sheridan County, Wyoming, hereby respectfully petitions the Hon. Commissioner- General for an original certificate of residence and represents and shows to the Hon. Commissioner-General that he has resided in the United States continuously since 1872; that during the years of 1892-3-4 he was engaged in cooking at various camps on the range in Montana and Wyoming and was so situated in said employment as to be cut off from any communication by which he could learn of the law known as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1892; that in following his vocation as a cook on the range, and elsewhere, in the years of 1892-3-4, as aforesaid, it was impossible for him to procure a certificate of residence on account of the lack of means of communication and travel; that on the could learn of the law known as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1892; that in following his vocation as a cook on the range, and elsewhere, in the years of 1892-3-4, as aforesaid, it was impossible for him to procure a certificate of residence on account of the lack of means of communication and travel; that on the 11th day of February, 1905, he was arrested by the U.S. Marshal for unlawfully being in the United States and was brought before the Hon. U.S.Commissioner L.H. Johnston for trial; that upon said trial it was found by the court that he was a resident of the United States continuously since 1892 and for some time prior thereto, and that by reason of unavoidable causes he was unable to procure a certificate of residence during the time of registration and was entitled now to such certificate. and was entitled now to such certificate.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
National Archives Identifier: 19086655
Full Citation: Application for Original Certificate for Lee Sam; 7/6/1905; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/application-for-original-certificate-for-lee-sam, April 25, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
