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On a Budget? Access the U.S. Census for Free

2013-05-21T10:39:48Z

A wide variety of options exist online for searching and viewing <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/us_census/a/US-Census-Records-Online.htm">digitized copies of U.S. census records from 1790 to 1940</a>. Several subscription-based sites offer the entire run, with seamless searching and browsing. However, if you only need access to a few census records, or are particularly budget-conscious, you can also achieve free access to the entire U.S. census run 1790-1940 with a little extra effort. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.heritagequestonline.com">Heritage Quest Online</a> offers free access to all U.S. census images 1790-1940 (and select indexes) to anyone who has free access through a participating local, state, or university <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/libraries/a/free_databases.htm">library system</a>. Contact or check the website of your local public library, as well as your state and any nearby university libraries, to see if they offer remote access to Heritage Quest Online and if you are eligible to apply for a library card. Alternatively, you can use the free census indexes available on FamilySearch, in combination with the free digitized U.S. census images on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/history_research/a/internet-archive.htm">Internet Archive</a> (no indexes) to achieve free access to the entire U.S. census collection 1790-1930. The 1940 U.S. census is completely free from several sources, including <a style="font-size: 13px;" href="http://www.archives.com/member/1940census" target="_blank">Archives.com</a> (not to be confused with Internet Archive--archive.org), <a style="font-size: 13px;" href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2442" target="_blank">Ancestry.com</a> (free account required to view records), <a style="font-size: 13px;" href="https://familysearch.org/1940census/" target="_blank">FamilySearch.org</a>, <a style="font-size: 13px;" href="http://www.myheritage.com/1940census" target="_blank">MyHeritage.com</a>, and <a style="font-size: 13px;" href="http://www.findmypast.com/articles/search-the-1940-us-census" target="_blank">FindMyPast.com</a> (free registration required). Learn more in <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/us_census/a/US-Census-Records-Online.htm">Sources for U.S. Census Records Online</a>

On a Budget? Access the U.S. Census for Free originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 at 10:39:48.

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Uncover Family History in Manuscript Collections

2013-05-14T08:58:03Z

Family documents such as letters, diaries, and even original land deeds, like the one pictured, are hiding among the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/records/a/family-history-in-manuscript-collections.htm">manuscript collections</a> held by archives, university libraries, historical societies and other repositories around the world. Since they are generally not easily accessible, especially online, many people overlook this wonderful family resource. Related Resources: <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/united_states/tp/State-Archives-Online.htm">U.S. State Archives Online</a> - Record Collections, Finding Aids, and Catalogs <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=10 Questions to Ask a Research Facility Before You Visit">10 Questions to Ask a Research Facility Before You Visit</a>

Uncover Family History in Manuscript Collections originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Tuesday, May 14th, 2013 at 08:58:03.

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Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Groups - Free!

2013-04-30T12:25:05Z

Two new free online study group options are now available for discussing and learning from the book Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones, PhD, GG, CGL, FASG, FNGS. This book is published by the National Genealogical Society (NGS) and is now available. It can be ordered directly from the National Genealogical Society <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/mastering_genealogical_proof">here</a>, and will also be available at next week's <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/b/2013/04/30/ngs-conference-from-home.htm">NGS Family History Conference</a>. I <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/b/2012/10/15/the-complete-guide-to-genealogical-proof.htm">blogged about this book last fall</a> under its then working title, after taking a course taught by Dr. Jones at the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.isbgfh.org/cpage.php?pt=7">British Institute</a> based on exercises from the pre-press copy. The <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://upfront.ngsgenealogy.org/2013/04/ngs-announces-release-of-mastering.html">press release</a> from National Genealogical Society also describes the new book:  <a href =http://genealogy.about.com/b/a/258029.htm>...</a>

Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Groups - Free! originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 12:25:05.

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5 Things to Do Before the NGS Family History Conference

2013-04-30T11:33:09Z

I'm excited to be presenting at and attending the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info">2013 National Genealogical Society (NGS) Family History Conference</a> next week in Las Vegas, Nevada. For those of you who will also be attending, I've highlighted a few tools to help you plan and make the most of your experience: 1) The 2013 NGS Conference Syllabus is now available online for registered attendees. I encourage you to browse through it now so you can start thinking about which sessions you most want to attend, and either print pages for the sessions you wish to attend, or download a copy to your tablet, computer or other device if you desire. To view and download the syllabus, log in to the NGS website at <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/2013syllabus">http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/2013syllabus</a>. Please allow up to 10 minutes for the download to complete as the file is very large. Attendees will also receive a digital copy of the syllabus at conference check in. You can prepare for the conference before you leave home by viewing and printing syllabi for the sessions you would like to attend. NGS will not have syllabus printing stations at the conference, although you can print from your flash drive syllabus at the LVH business center for 30 cents per page in black and white, plus an additional $1 to open a file and print from a CD or flash drive. <a href =http://genealogy.about.com/b/a/256981.htm>...</a>

5 Things to Do Before the NGS Family History Conference originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 11:33:09.

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Timeline of Major U.S. Immigration & Citizenship Laws

2013-04-30T07:36:48Z

From the Naturalization Act of 1790 through the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, a large number of laws placed restrictions on naturalization and immigration in and to the United States. A knowledge of the laws that regulated immigration and citizenship is important for understanding the conditions under which your ancestors may have been granted or lost their citizenship, or records which may have been created based on their alien or citizenship status. This <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/immigration/a/Timeline-Of-US-Immigration-Naturalization-Acts.htm">Timeline of Major U.S. Immigration & Citizenship Laws</a> is not exhaustive, and does not include all acts that temporarily extended the provisions of earlier acts, or affected a small segment of the population. Related Content: <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/land_records/a/Timeline-Of-US-Public-Land-Grants.htm">Timeline of Major U.S. Public Land Acts</a> <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/legal/a/us-statutes-at-large.htm">United States Statutes at Large: A Researcher's Guide</a>

Timeline of Major U.S. Immigration & Citizenship Laws originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 07:36:48.

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French Actes d'Etat Civil � How to Find & Use Them Online

2013-04-30T06:22:01Z

Civil registration of births, deaths, and marriages in France began in 1792. Because these records cover the entire population, are easily accessible and indexed, and include people of all denominations, they are a vital resource for French genealogy research. The information presented varies by locality and time period, but often includes the individual's date and place of birth and the names of the parents and/or spouse. One additional bonus of French civil records, is that birth records often include what is known as "margin entries," which can lead to additional records. From 1897, these margin entries will often include marriage information (date and location). Divorces are generally noted from 1939, deaths from 1945, and legal separations from 1958. The best part of French civil registration records in my opinion, however, is that so many of them are now available online. Records of civil registration are typically held in registries in local mairie (town hall), with copies deposited each year with the local magistrate's court. Records over 100 years old are placed in the Archives Départementales (series E) and are available for public consultation. It is possible to obtain access to the more recent records, but they are not usually not available online due to privacy restrictions, and you will generally be required to prove, through the use of birth certificates, your direct descent from the person in question. Many Departmental Archives have placed portions of their holdings online, often beginning with the actes d'etat civils. Unfortunately, online access to the indexes and digital images has been <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://french-genealogy.typepad.com/genealogie/2011/01/commercial-genealogy-vs-privacy-the-french-perspective.html">restricted to 120 years by the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL)</a>. So how to find and access them? <a href =http://genealogy.about.com/b/a/257635.htm>...</a>

French Actes d'Etat Civil � How to Find & Use Them Online originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 06:22:01.

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Follow Up on Census Clues

2013-04-30T06:02:06Z

Many U.S. census records provide details beyond the basic names, ages and relationships.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/census/a/census_clues.htm"> Hidden among the census columns may be additional clues</a>, from a street address to the age of a mother at the time of her first marriage, which could lead you to research in new records. As with all genealogy research, look at every single detail on the target census page (and the pages surrounding it as well) and ask yourself what it tells you about your ancestor. Do the marriage age, occupation, number of children, etc. all make sense with what you know about him or her? If you spot an anomaly that makes you pause, then follow it up - it could just be an error in the census, or it could be the source of a new discovery about your ancestor. While the article I've linked to here is specific to U.S. census records, the technique applies to census records in all countries. Related: <a href="http://genealogy.about.com/od/census/a/pre_1850_us.htm">Dig Details from Pre-1850 Census Records </a><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/search_tips/tp/database_search.htm">Search Tips for Stubborn Ancestors</a>

Follow Up on Census Clues originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 06:02:06.

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Researching Acadian & Cajun Ancestors

2013-04-30T03:43:53Z

<img src="http://0.tqn.com/h/genealogy/1/3/5/_/maillet_bourq-marriage1815sm.jpg" border="0" alt="Olivier Maillet and Marie Bourq, great-grandparents of Acadian novelist Antonine Maillet, married in 1815 in Memramcook parish, New Brunswick. From " hspace="4" align="left" />"I have avenged my ancestors," said Acadian novelist Antonine Maillet in 1979 about her novel "Pélagie-la-Charrette." In this work and another novel "La Sagouine," Antonine tells the stories of the men and women disenfranchised by the 18th century Acadian expulsion. Antonine Maillet is just one of many descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia, a colony of New France, encompassing the present-day Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, as well as portions of Quebec and the U.S. state of Maine. Despite the long, troubled history of the Acadians, it is often possible to research Acadian ancestors back to Acadia, if not to France. This is due, in large part, to the efforts of Acadian genealogical pioneers such as Acadian genealogist and Canadian archivist, Placide Gaudet; clergy such as Patrice Gallant, Hector Hébert and Clément Cormier; and most recently, Stephen White, author of "Dictionnaire génealogique des familles acadiennes," who have compiled a variety of published reference works on the early Acadians and their descendants. When researching Acadian and Cajun ancestors it is easy to get lost in a maze of people of the same name. For this reason it is important, as with all genealogy research, to begin with what you know about your own family and work backwards step by step, fully researching each generation before going back to the next. Learn more about <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/acadian/a/Acadian-Cajun-Genealogy.htm">Researching Acadian & Cajun Ancestors in North America</a>, and then take your research online with these <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=/od/acadian/tp/acadian_online.htm">Online Acadian Genealogy Databases & Records</a>.

Researching Acadian & Cajun Ancestors originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 03:43:53.

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Free Genealogy Webinars in April

2013-04-02T11:44:03Z

<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/education/tp/genealogy-webinars.htm">Genealogy webinars</a> are a great resource for online learning and education, especially for genealogists who find it difficult to make it to genealogy conferences and other live events. A wide variety of genealogy-focused webinars are available online for free each month, many available to the general public. Here are some highlights of the many free genealogy webinars available for April: <ul> <li>April 3 - <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.familytreewebinars.com/webinar_details.php?webinar_id=47">Evidence: Guidelines for Evaluating Genealogical Evidence</a> with Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL. Sponsored by Legacy Family Tree Webinars.</li> <li>April 6 - <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/extension-series/jes2013.html">Break Down Brick Walls with Home Sources</a>, with Denise Levenick. Sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Extension.</li> <li>April 9 - <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://blog.geneawebinars.com/2013/04/developing-research-plans-while-staying.html">Developing Research Plans While Staying on Track in a Modern World</a>, with J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA. Sponsored by the Association of Professional Genealogists.</li> <li>April 9 - <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=234">Digging Through Documents Word by Word</a>, with Debbie Mieszala, CG. Sponsored by the Illinois State Genealogical Society.</li> <li>April 10 - <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.familytreewebinars.com/webinar_details.php?webinar_id=161">That First Trip to the Courthouse</a>, with Judy G. Russell, CG, CGL. Sponsored by Legacy Family Tree Webinars.</li> <li>April 17 - <a href="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/560264696" target="_blank">Trip the Tree Fantastic: Intriguing Family History Trips for the Whole Family</a>, with Janet Hovorka. Sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Extension.</li> <li>April 24 - <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.familytreewebinars.com/webinar_details.php?webinar_id=72">What's New at FamilySearch</a>, with Devin Ashby. Sponsored by Legacy Family Tree Webinars.</li> <li>April 30 - <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://blog.geneawebinars.com/p/calendar.html">An Autosomal DNA Primer: Sex Doesn't Matter Any More</a>, with Judy G. Russell, CG, CGL. Sponsored by the Association of Professional Genealogists.</li> </ul> This is by no means a full list of all of the free webinars available this month. Visit websites such as <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.geneawebinars.com">GeneaWebinars</a>, or the website of your local societies to find others of interest.

Free Genealogy Webinars in April originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013 at 11:44:03.

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Timeline of Major U.S. Public Land Acts

2013-03-31T21:32:45Z

Beginning with the Congressional Act of 16 September 1776 and the Land Ordinance of 1785, a wide variety of Congressional acts governed the distribution of federal land in the thirty <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/cs/land/a/public_lands.htm">public land states</a>. Various acts opened up new territories, established the practice of offering land as compensation for military service, and extended preemption rights to squatters. These acts each resulted in the first transfer of land from the federal government to individuals. This <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://genealogy.about.com/od/land_records/a/Timeline-Of-US-Public-Land-Grants.htm">Timeline of Major U.S. Public Land Acts</a> is not exhaustive, and does not include acts that temporarily extended the provisions of earlier acts, or were passed for the benefit of individuals.

Timeline of Major U.S. Public Land Acts originally appeared on About.com Genealogy on Sunday, March 31st, 2013 at 21:32:45.

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