Week 3: Vital Records and Documentation
Welcome back, family history detectives! I hope you had fun interviewing a family member and starting your pedigree chart last week. You're building real research skills! And because this course is self-directed, you can always go back and review the previous lessons.
Today we're going to learn about the most important tools in genealogy research: vital records. These are official documents that prove the big events in people's lives. We'll also discover census records, which are like snapshots of families from long ago.
By the end of today's lesson, you'll know how to find and understand these records, and why they're so valuable for building your family tree.
Let's dive into the world of official documents!
Objective 1: Identify Key Record Types Used in Genealogy
What Are Vital Records?
Vital records are official documents that the government creates when important life events happen. Think of them as official proof of the big moments in someone's life.
The word "vital" means "very important for life" - and these records show the most important events that happen to people.
The Big Four Vital Records
Birth Certificates:
Why These Records Are So Important
Vital records are primary sources - that means they were created at the time something happened. They're much more reliable than family stories or memories because:
Other Important Records
Military Records:
What Records Look Like
Different time periods have different types of records:
Objective 2: Learn How to Locate and Interpret Vital Records
Where to Find Vital Records
Government Offices:
How to Search for Records
Start with what you know:
Try different dates:
Reading and Understanding Records
Look for key information:
Making Copies and Taking Notes
When you find a record:
Objective 3: Understand the Importance of Census Records
What Is a Census?
A census is when the government counts everyone in the country. In the United States, this happens every 10 years (1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, and so on).
Census workers go to every house and ask questions like:
Why Census Records Are Gold Mines
Census records are amazing for genealogy because they show:
Whole Families Together:
Different Census Years Have Different Information
Early Censuses (1790-1840):
How to Use Census Records
Track families over time:
Reading Census Records
Common abbreviations:
Topic Review: Birth, Marriage, Death, and Divorce Records
Birth Records - Your Starting Point
What they tell you:
Marriage Records - Connecting Families
What they tell you:
Death Records - Final Details
What they tell you:
Divorce Records - When Marriages End
What they tell you:
Topic Review: Federal and State Census Records (3 minutes)
Federal Census - Every 10 Years
The federal census covers the whole United States:
State Census - Filling the Gaps
Some states took their own census in years ending in 5:
Special Census Records
Using Census Records as Building Blocks
Start with recent census years and work backward:
Practice Time: Working with Records
Let's practice identifying and using different types of records!
Practice Exercise 1: Vital Records Detective
Topic Review: Civil vs. Church Records
Civil Records (Government Records)
Created by:
Church Records (Religious Records)
Created by:
Using Both Types Together
Assignment Instructions
Time to put your new knowledge to work!
Assignment 1: Find and analyze one census record. Use a free website like FamilySearch.org to search for someone in your family in any census year. What can you learn about them? Who was living in their household? Write down everything the census tells you about that family.
Assignment 2: Document one vital record for an ancestor. Find a birth, death, or marriage record for someone in your family tree. This could be online or by asking family members if they have copies. Write down what the record says and where you found it. Remember to note your source!
Don't worry if you can't find records for everyone you're looking for. Sometimes it takes detective work and trying different spellings or dates.
Closing and Next Week Preview
Excellent work today! You've learned about the most important types of records genealogists use. Vital records and census records will become your best friends as you continue building your family tree.
Next week in "Using Online Resources," we'll learn how to use genealogy websites effectively. We'll explore sites like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, learn search strategies that get better results, and discover how to connect with other genealogists online.
The internet has made family history research so much easier than it used to be. You'll be amazed at what you can discover from your computer!
Keep practicing with those records, and I'll see you next week for Week 4!
Additional Resources for Students
Government Record Sources:
Before you leave, take your Week 3 Quiz to test yourself and see your score. You can take the quiz as often as you like and you always can come back here to review the lesson and reinforce your learning.
Week 3 Quiz - Getting Started With Research
See You next week for Week 4: Using Online Resources
Today we're going to learn about the most important tools in genealogy research: vital records. These are official documents that prove the big events in people's lives. We'll also discover census records, which are like snapshots of families from long ago.
By the end of today's lesson, you'll know how to find and understand these records, and why they're so valuable for building your family tree.
Let's dive into the world of official documents!
Objective 1: Identify Key Record Types Used in Genealogy
What Are Vital Records?
Vital records are official documents that the government creates when important life events happen. Think of them as official proof of the big moments in someone's life.
The word "vital" means "very important for life" - and these records show the most important events that happen to people.
The Big Four Vital Records
Birth Certificates:
- Prove when and where someone was born
- Show parents' names
- Often include parents' ages and birthplaces
- Sometimes show grandparents' names
- Prove when and where people got married
- Show both spouses' full names
- • Often include parents' names
- Sometimes show witnesses who watched the wedding
- Show who officiated the ceremony
- Prove when and where someone died
- Show cause of death
- Often include spouse and parents' names
- Sometimes show where the person was buried
- Prove when a marriage ended
- Show both spouses' names
- Include the date the divorce was final
- Sometimes explain why the marriage ended
Why These Records Are So Important
Vital records are primary sources - that means they were created at the time something happened. They're much more reliable than family stories or memories because:
- They were made by official people (like doctors or clerks)
- They were created when events happened (not years later)
- They include specific dates and places
- They often have information about multiple family members
Other Important Records
Military Records:
- Show service in wars or military
- Include dates of service
- Often show physical descriptions
- Sometimes include family information
- Show when people came to the United States
- Include ship names and dates
- Often show ages and family members
- Sometimes show where people came from
- Prove who owned property
- Show when land was bought or sold
- Include neighbors' names (part of the FAN Club)
- Help track where families live
What Records Look Like
Different time periods have different types of records:
- Very old records might be handwritten and hard to read
- Medium-old records might be typed on old typewriters
- Recent records are usually printed by computers
Objective 2: Learn How to Locate and Interpret Vital Records
Where to Find Vital Records
Government Offices:
- County Clerk offices have marriage and divorce records
- State Health Departments have birth and death records
- City Halls sometimes have local records
- Courthouses have legal documents
- FamilySearch.org - Free website with millions of records
- Ancestry.com - Paid website with millions of records
- State government websites - Often have record information
- Local historical and genealogy society websites - Area-specific records
- Local libraries often have microfilm copies
- State archives have old government records
- University libraries sometimes have special collections
How to Search for Records
Start with what you know:
- Person's full name
- Approximate date (within a few years is okay)
- Place where event happened
- Names of family members
- Smith, Smyth, Smythe
- Johnson, Johnsen, Jonson
- Catherine, Katherine, Kathryn
Try different dates:
- If you think someone was born in 1920, try 1918-1922
- People sometimes remembered dates wrong
- Records sometimes have mistakes
Reading and Understanding Records
Look for key information:
- Full names (including middle names)
- Exact dates
- Specific places
- Family relationships
- Ages at the time of events
- Abbreviations: "Wm" means William, "Thos" means Thomas
- Old-fashioned names: Mehitable, Obediah, Temperance
- Nickname confusion: Jack might be John, Peggy might be Margaret
- Place name changes: Towns sometimes change names or boundaries
Making Copies and Taking Notes
When you find a record:
- Save or print a copy if possible
- Take notes on what the record says
- Write down where you found it (the source)
- Note the date you found it
- Check if there are related records in the same place
Objective 3: Understand the Importance of Census Records
What Is a Census?
A census is when the government counts everyone in the country. In the United States, this happens every 10 years (1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, and so on).
Census workers go to every house and ask questions like:
- Who lives here?
- How old is everyone?
- Where was everyone born?
- What jobs do people have?
Why Census Records Are Gold Mines
Census records are amazing for genealogy because they show:
Whole Families Together:
- Parents, children, grandparents, and sometimes other relatives
- Everyone's ages on the same date
- Relationships between family members
- Exact addresses or area descriptions
- Who their neighbors were
- How families moved over time
- Birthplaces (often including countries)
- Immigration information
- Jobs and occupations
- Whether people could read and write
- Property value
Different Census Years Have Different Information
Early Censuses (1790-1840):
- Only show names of household heads
- Count other family members by age groups
- Don't give individual names for everyone
- List everyone's name in the household
- Show ages, birthplaces, and occupations
- Include lots of family details
- Not available yet due to privacy laws
- Released 72 years after they were taken
How to Use Census Records
Track families over time:
- Find the same family in multiple census years
- Watch children grow up and move away
- See when new babies were born
- If you don't know someone's birthplace, check the census
- If you're not sure about ages, compare different census years
- Look for parents' names and birthplaces
- Find children you didn't know about
- Discover relatives living in the same household
- Learn about adopted children or step-relationships
Reading Census Records
Common abbreviations:
- "Head" = head of household
- "Wife" = spouse
- "Son" or "Dau" = son or daughter
- "Serv" = servant • "Board" = boarder
- People listed together usually lived in the same house
- Relationships are shown compared to the head of household
- Sometimes relatives have different last names
Topic Review: Birth, Marriage, Death, and Divorce Records
Birth Records - Your Starting Point
What they tell you:
- Exact birth date and place
- Parents' full names
- Sometimes parents' ages and birthplaces
- Occasionally grandparents' names
- Contact the state where the person was born
- Check both state and county offices
- Look for delayed birth certificates for older people
Marriage Records - Connecting Families
What they tell you:
- Wedding date and place
- Both spouses' full names (including bride's maiden name)
- Ages at marriage
- Parents' names
- Witnesses (often relatives or friends)
- Marriage license - permission to marry
- Marriage certificate - proof they actually married
- Marriage return - official record filed after ceremony
Death Records - Final Details
What they tell you:
- Date, place, and cause of death
- Full name and age at death
- Spouse's name
- Parents' names
- Where person was buried
- Usually a family member
- Sometimes neighbors or friends
- Information accuracy can vary depending on who knew the person
Divorce Records - When Marriages End
What they tell you:
- Date divorce was granted
- Reason for divorce
- Information about children
- Property division details
- County courthouse where divorce was granted
- Sometimes different from where couple was married
Topic Review: Federal and State Census Records (3 minutes)
Federal Census - Every 10 Years
The federal census covers the whole United States:
- Same questions asked nationwide
- Taken in years ending in 0 (1920, 1930, 1940)
- Available 72 years after they were taken
- Most complete record of American families
State Census - Filling the Gaps
Some states took their own census in years ending in 5:
- Helps find families between federal census years
- Sometimes includes different information
- Not all states did this
- Great for tracking family movements
Special Census Records
- Mortality Schedules: Listed people who died in the year before the census
- Agricultural Schedules: Showed what farmers grew and owned
- Industry Schedules: Listed businesses and manufacturing
- Military Schedules: Recorded veterans and their service
Using Census Records as Building Blocks
Start with recent census years and work backward:
- 1940 → 1930 → 1920 → 1910
- Watch for changes in family composition
- Note when people appear or disappear
- Track immigration and movement patterns
Practice Time: Working with Records
Let's practice identifying and using different types of records!
Practice Exercise 1: Vital Records Detective
- Think about one ancestor you're researching
- Which vital record would be most helpful to find first? (birth, marriage, or death?)
- Where would you look for that record? (state office, county courthouse, online?)
- Why did you choose that record as your starting point?
- If you found your great-grandfather in the 1930 census as age 45
- What year was he probably born? (1885, give or take a year)
- Which earlier census should you check next? (1920 census)
- What new information might you learn from the earlier census?
- You find a death certificate that lists parents' names
- The census shows the person lived with someone with a different last name
- How might these records work together to tell you about the family?
- What other records might help explain the different names?
Topic Review: Civil vs. Church Records
Civil Records (Government Records)
Created by:
- County clerks
- State health departments
- City officials
- Courts and judges
- Birth certificates
- Marriage licenses
- Death certificates
- Court records
- Standardized format
- Legally required
- Usually easy to find
- Often indexed and searchable
Church Records (Religious Records)
Created by:
- Ministers, priests, rabbis and other clergy
- Church staff or volunteers
- Religious organizations, archivists
- Baptism records
- Marriage ceremonies
- Burial records
- Membership lists
- Often older than civil records
- May include more family details
- Sometimes have unique information
- May cover people who moved frequently
Using Both Types Together
- Church records can fill gaps when civil records don't exist
- Civil records provide legal proof for official purposes
- Compare both sources to get the most complete picture
- Different religions kept different types of records
Assignment Instructions
Time to put your new knowledge to work!
Assignment 1: Find and analyze one census record. Use a free website like FamilySearch.org to search for someone in your family in any census year. What can you learn about them? Who was living in their household? Write down everything the census tells you about that family.
Assignment 2: Document one vital record for an ancestor. Find a birth, death, or marriage record for someone in your family tree. This could be online or by asking family members if they have copies. Write down what the record says and where you found it. Remember to note your source!
Don't worry if you can't find records for everyone you're looking for. Sometimes it takes detective work and trying different spellings or dates.
Closing and Next Week Preview
Excellent work today! You've learned about the most important types of records genealogists use. Vital records and census records will become your best friends as you continue building your family tree.
Next week in "Using Online Resources," we'll learn how to use genealogy websites effectively. We'll explore sites like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, learn search strategies that get better results, and discover how to connect with other genealogists online.
The internet has made family history research so much easier than it used to be. You'll be amazed at what you can discover from your computer!
Keep practicing with those records, and I'll see you next week for Week 4!
Additional Resources for Students
Government Record Sources:
- VitalRec.com - Directory of vital record offices by state
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics: www.cdc.gov/nchs - Birth and death record information
- NARA (National Archives): www.archives.gov - Federal records and census information
- FamilySearch – FamilySearch.org Millions of free records and indexes
- USGenWeb Project: www.usgenweb.org - Volunteer-transcribed local records
- Bureau of Land Management: www.blm.gov/or/landrecords - Free land patent records
- "Reading Early American Handwriting" by Kip Sperry
- National Archives Paleography Tutorial: www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/charts-forms
- FamilySearch Wiki: Reading Old Handwriting guide
- Check your state's official website for vital record information
- Contact your state historical society for local record collections
- Visit your state archives for the oldest government records
- Check with the genealogy society in the state/county you are researching for help
Before you leave, take your Week 3 Quiz to test yourself and see your score. You can take the quiz as often as you like and you always can come back here to review the lesson and reinforce your learning.
Week 3 Quiz - Getting Started With Research
See You next week for Week 4: Using Online Resources
Listen to this audio for a quick review!