Basic American Records

This course is designed to give you a better understanding of the history, content, and uses of census records and related material. Much census material is available on computerized databases located in many familiar places—libraries, archives, etc. While those specific locations are not given in the material, many charts are supplied which track which documents are available for particular years, for the various U.S. states. This should be of more use and enable you to better focus your search for documents and information. We will also review some of the common pitfalls which can derail a genealogical search and offer tips on how to avoid them.

Examining birth, marriage, and death records and how they can expand your family tree. Birth, marriage and death records in the United States will be examined to show how much information is available in them. The history of when they began to be recorded in various places and the depth of the information in them over time will be discussed. The recording of vital statistics was most often done at the time the event occurred, which means the information is often of high accuracy. However, problems with accuracy will be explored.

The various administrative levels (municipal, county, and state) at which these records were kept and the repositories (archives and libraries) where they may now be found will be described. Published vital records will also be discussed. Suggestions for using the Internet for researching vital statistics records will be provided. 

The objectives of this course include:

• Understanding the creation of vital records in the United States
  
• Locating vital records in the United States
  
• Evaluating information in these records 
  
• Creating a research plan based on availability of records 
  
• Securing documents needed to prove your family lineage

This course focuses on religions which had a significant presence in the developing new land in America, prior to 1800. While the basic tenants of various religions, particularly Protestantism and Catholicism were being debated in Europe prior to 1800, it is the culture and beliefs of the immigrants who settled in America which is of interest to us. A greater understanding of these developments will greatly assist any search for genealogical sources and resources of information.

The course material will follow a format whereby first the religion and its main subcategories are identified, then given a brief historical sketch and a timeline for context. Next, a listing and discussion of available records and their location, including addresses and websites is offered for the various religious groups. Lastly, tips and suggestions are given to further assist a search for information.

This course has been designed to accomplish several objectives. We will provide a brief overview of the history and types of land documents in the United States, and we will begin with considering Colonial Records (English, French, Mexican, Spanish). We will examine land grants, and the interesting history of homestead records and the development bounty lands will be discussed. Deeds and maps, naturally an important part of any search into land records, will also be examined.

We will conclude by providing a lengthy overview of the availability of statewide and Internet land record sources and resources; where they are located and how you can contact the appropriate repository.