One of the most popular genealogy websites is FamilySearch. It is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and is free to use. Genealogists of all faiths, or who have no religious beliefs, are welcome to use the website. They frequently add records and other useful information to FamilySearch. Here is what’s new at FamilySearch this week. This week, FamilySearch added 76 Million new records. All of them are free for genealogists to access. State census, naturalization, immigration, and vital records for 22 states were added this week. This includes Ohio, New Jersey, New York, and … Continue reading →

Are you ready for the 1940 United States Census? It is the biggest, most exciting, genealogy resource that will be released in 2012. If you are new to genealogy, or, if this is the first census that you will be using as a resource, you might need some guidance. Here are some online resources that can help you to get the most out of your 1940 Census research. FamilySearch might be a good place to start. This website has enlisted the aid of volunteers who will be indexing the names that appear in the 1940 census. When the census is … Continue reading →

You can learn a lot by attending a genealogy workshop, class, or event. In addition to finding out more information about the specific topic that the class is focusing on. Stepping away from your home computer, and checking out a genealogy event is a good way to meet other genealogists in your area. Here are a few upcoming genealogy events taking place this week. On January 23, 2012, The Beloit Public Library, which is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, will be doing a class called “Genealogy Resources Online”. The class will teach you about data bases and online resources for help … Continue reading →

The United States Census Bureau has a page on Facebook. Their page contains a lot of interesting information about the Bureau itself, and what the census is all about. Like all Facebook pages, you have to have a Facebook account in order to interact, leave comments, and read the information on the page. Their Facebook page is written in easy to understand language, and has photos and videos. The United States Census Bureau has a Facebook page because it wants to become a part of social media in order to make it easier for citizens to learn more about the … Continue reading →

The Social Security Death Index (also known as the SSDI, Social Security Master Death List, or other similar names) is perhaps the most misunderstood index that is commonly used by genealogical researchers. Why is there so much confusion about the SSDI? I am not sure exactly why, but perhaps its name suggests that its contents are more inclusive than they actually are. In today’s society, nearly every American has a Social Security number. In the 1930’s, when the Social Security program came into existence, that was not the case. Many people did not get Social Security numbers because the program … Continue reading →

Be careful where you get your information from when you are working on genealogy! Not all source material has the same validity. The wealth of resources available on the internet can both help, and harm, your genealogy research. Paying attention can help you to avoid incorporating mistakes into your family tree. A recent article in the Citizen Times notes the dangers of believing everything you see on the internet, especially when it involves genealogy. You don’t want to accidentally pick up incorrect information about your family tree. This can happen when you are reading a personal blog of another genealogist, … Continue reading →

You already know that the 2010 census is counting how many people live where in the United States. What you may not know is that the census tallies many other interesting pieces of information as well, such as how many Americans own computers and televisions and how many of each of those items they own. In addition to providing information about how many computers and televisions we all have, the Census Bureau has ranked the surnames of Americans from most to least popular. It is probably not surprising to you that the most popular surname in the United States is … Continue reading →

Many people pursue genealogy as a hobby. For others, their passion for genealogy has led them to become professional genealogists. Those of us that are not professional genealogists may wonder who hires professional genealogists and what they are hired to do. Professional genealogists research the history of people. They work on projects that range from simple record searches to helping people get around “brick walls” in their personal research to writing books about entire families and their heritage. Many different people enlist the services of professional genealogists, such as people who would love to know their family history but have … Continue reading →

The United States Constitution requires that a census of the population of the United States be conducted every ten years. This year, the United States Census Bureau will attempt to count every single resident of the United States and collect some basic information about them. This data will be used by the government to allocate Federal funding for things like hospitals, schools, and infrastructure. Census data is important for other reasons too. Sociologists and other researchers use census data to study the American population. Genealogists can also use census data in their research. Census records can assist in confirming genealogical … Continue reading →