Origins of the United States Passport: Part 3

Milestones in the years leading up to the Civil War Origins of the United States Passport Part 3

In 1819, the inaugural “special passport” was granted to a dispatch bearer under the leadership of John Quincy Adams.

Throughout the 1820s, the passport bearer’s physical characteristics were detailed on the left side of the passport, adding an extra layer of security.

In 1833, after a restructuring of the State Department, the Translating and Miscellaneous Bureau took charge of passport issuance, issuing around one thousand passports annually. Origins of the United States Passport Part 3

However, in 1835, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Urtetiqui v. D’Arcy (34 U.S. [9 Pet.] 692), ruled that a passport only offered prima facie evidence of citizenship, underlining the need for more standardized passport issuance.

In 1838, the responsibility for issuing passports shifted to the Home Bureau of the State Department, and by 1845, the first known circular outlining the passport application process was released.

In 1846, a second circular clarified the specific documents required as evidence of personal identity and citizenship.

1847 witnessed the standardization of passport policies, with the Secretary of State acknowledging that free African Americans were provided with a unique certificate rather than the regular passport. Origins of the United States Passport Part 3

In 1850, bearer’s age and height became mandatory information on all passports.

The first passport policy legislation was enacted by Congress in 1856, specifying that only citizens could receive passports, and granting the Secretary of State exclusive authority in issuing them. The law also introduced the first passport fee of $1 for passports issued abroad (11 Stat. 60, sec. 23, Rev. Stat. 4075).

Sole Authority to Secretary of State

Moreover, on August 18th, 1856, Congress authorized the Secretary of State and their duly appointed representatives to have sole authority in granting and issuing passports.

These historical milestones in the development of passports laid the groundwork for their issuance, establishing the necessary framework to ensure the security and reliability of these crucial travel documents. Origins of the United States Passport Part 3

Starting in August 1861, stringent procedures were put in place for individuals arriving and departing from U.S. seaports. These regulations mandated the presentation of valid passports as a means of confirming one’s identity and citizenship. The catalyst for these measures was the outbreak of the Civil War, which necessitated increased scrutiny of people entering or leaving the nation.

Furthermore, as an additional means of confirming an individual’s loyalty to the United States, the State Department instituted a new policy that required all passport applicants to provide an additional form of proof in the form of an oath of allegiance. This policy remained in effect for over a century, until it was finally abolished in 1973. Origins of the United States Passport Part 3

In the next article in this series, you’ll learn more about the Oath of allegiance on passports, the introduction of a $3 passport fee, and more.

 

Sources/References:
– “The American Passport – Its History 1898, Washington Government Printing Office”
– “The United States passport: past, present, future 1976 –U.S. Dept. of State – Passport Office”
– “The Passport In America – The history of a document, Craig Robertson, Oxford University Press Inc., 2010”
– “U.S. Diplomacy & Passport History – A guideline for passport collectors by Tom Topol”

 

Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
Featured in media incl. CNN, BBC, Newsweek. Awarded by the U.S. Department of State.
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