Resources for researching genealogy

Discussion of Census Data

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Statement on Genealogy:

Although censuses are a source of genealogical information, the Census Bureau does not provide these data. The Census Bureau is not able to locate missing persons, or provide recent information on individuals.

In keeping with the Census Bureau's commitment to confidentiality, the Census Bureau information collected in the Decennial Census of Population and Housing on individuals does not become available to the public until after 72 years.

However, this statement from Wikipedia.org provides some insight into accessing past Census data: "Census records and data are not available to the public until 72 years after they were taken. Every census up to 1930 is currently available to the public and can be viewed on microfilm released by the National Archives and Records Administration, the official keeper of old federal census records. These census records are also available online from various sources such as Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.com, which have all released census records available for a subscription. The 1940 census will be available for public review in 2012."  Also: The 1890 Census is "notable for the fact it is the only one for which the original data is no longer available. Almost all the population schedules were destroyed in a fire in 1921."

Additional Links:

• The Institute for Regional Studies at North Dakota State University offers excellent resources on genealogy
• Ideas from the State Historical Society of North Dakota
• Other resources include:
  • Ancestry.com
  • Family Search
  • Genealogy.org
  • The Genealogy Home Page
  • RootsWeb.com
• Resources for researching Native American Ancestry specifically include:
  • Genealogical Research for Native Americans
  • How to Research Native American Ancestry
  • Native American Genealogy
  • Native American Indian Genealogy