The newest addition is the "Seamen's Protection Certificates" group.
"In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Britain routinely removed British sailors who were found on American ships, and those removals often included Americans. The practice, known as impressment, became one of the central causes of the War of 1812.
In an effort to protect American seamen from impressment, Congress authorized the issuance of Seamen’s Protection Certificates, which identified seamen as American citizens. Since citizenship was a requirement, you’ll typically find the place of birth listed and could find naturalization details for immigrants. For identification purposes, the records also include physical descriptions. Typically age, height, complexion, eye and hair color is given as well as scars and other distinctive physical features. This collection includes certificates from the ports of Bath, Maine; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the period 1792 through 1868."
The very first record for New Orleans I looked at was for a free man of color, declaring him a native of New Orleans, a native of Louisiana and Citizen of the United States, notorized and witnessed, with the seal of the City of New Orleans at the top. I kept finding more, and more and more free men of color declared as Citizens...in a slave state.
Here is an example...
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United States, City of New Orleans.
On this 9th day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and 21 before me John Lynd, Notary Public, dwelling in the city of New Orleans, personally came John Bart @ free mand of colour and made oath that he is a native of New Orleans and a Citizen of the United States; that he is aged twenty seven years or thereabouts, of the height of five feet eleven inches, surly hair, dark eyes, mulatto complexion, @ small scar on the forehead.
(signed in his hand writing "Jean Barte"...others have just an X)
Edward Jenkins being also duly sworn, made oath, that he is well acquainted with John Bart a freeman of colour and verily beieves the above deposition, signed by him to be true and correct.
Sworn before me
(signed by the notary and the witness)
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Anyone who had this sould be protected as a U.S. Citizen.
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David Upton