Finding Ancestors in the US Census (Download)

The census contains a wealth of information for US genealogists and is the cornerstone of a sound family history. In the census you can learn about families, education, wealth and even how long a marriage lasted or the number of children a woman bore.

In this course, we'll discuss the early censuses from 1790 through 1840, and censuses that list all household members, from 1850 through 1930.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• The type of information found in each federal census
• How to analyze census records
• How to find and search online census databases
• How to find ancestors using microfilmed Soundex indexes
• How to use early "head-of-household" censuses
• Alternatives for missing records (such as the lost 1890 census)
• What special "nonpopulation" census records you should also look for
• Hints and techniques in each lesson

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE

• Family researchers new to census searching
• Genealogists who want to learn new tricks to track down elusive ancestors
• Librarians wishing to assist patrons researching Irish roots
• People unfamiliar with online census searching

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: REQUIREMENTS & SUPPLIES

• This course assumes you understand the basics principles of genealogy and have done some investigation into your family history.
• Access to Ancestry.com will help you get the most from this class. Many libraries offer free on-site access to Ancestry Library Edition