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''[[Portal:United States of America|United States ]] > [[African American Research|African American Research ]] > Vital Records''<br> | ''[[Portal:United States of America|United States ]] > [[African American Research|African American Research ]] > Vital Records''<br> | ||
'''''African AmericanVital Records for 2009 back to 1900''''' | '''''African AmericanVital Records for 2009 back to 1900 '''(State, County and church records)'' | ||
''Vital record information in the 1900 Census , ...........'' | ''Vital record information in the 1900 Census , ...........'' | ||
Vital records are the cornerstones of genealogy research. The events of birth, marriage and death function as anchors in the lives of ancestors. Determining the events of a person's life between birth and death helps to tell the story of that person and, in part, the story of the America in which that person lived or traveled during the course of their lifespan. For example, a young person dying in the Civil War tells a tale of that era or a Depression Era marriage in Arizona may illuminate the life of an Illinois farm family who had relocated. | Vital records are the cornerstones of genealogy research. The events of birth, marriage and death function as anchors in the lives of ancestors. Determining the events of a person's life between birth and death helps to tell the story of that person and, in part, the story of the America in which that person lived or traveled during the course of their lifespan. For example, a young person dying in the Civil War tells a tale of that era or a Depression Era marriage in Arizona may illuminate the life of an Illinois farm family who had relocated. | ||
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Among the three groups, hints to the vital records in question can often be gleaned from at least one of the sources. If a county courthouse burned in Virginia during the Civil War, maybe the local church survived. If there was no church in the area, perhaps a family member recorded events in a journal or Bible. | Among the three groups, hints to the vital records in question can often be gleaned from at least one of the sources. If a county courthouse burned in Virginia during the Civil War, maybe the local church survived. If there was no church in the area, perhaps a family member recorded events in a journal or Bible. | ||
'''Vital records 1900 back to 1870''' | '''Vital records 1900 back to 1870''' (county and church records) | ||
Census..... | Census..... | ||
Between the colonial settlement and the 20th century, one major problem recurred over time between the East Coast and the western states. On a rolling basis, there were no governments or churches to record the information, as people were often settling in advance of those institutions. If there were territorial governments in place, they were often not obligating local authorities to track the births, deaths or marriages of area residents. This being the case, the first step is to determine in what state or territory your ancestors lived. For example, someone living in Virginia in 1780 may have truly been located in what is now Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania or Maryland. Likewise, someone listed as living in the Indiana Territory may have been in Detroit. As these governmental units developed and solidified their boundaries, the county lines were still evolving. County-level histories and Web sites can help to determine the exact boundaries encircling the family being researched. | Between the colonial settlement and the 20th century, one major problem recurred over time between the East Coast and the western states. On a rolling basis, there were no governments or churches to record the information, as people were often settling in advance of those institutions. If there were territorial governments in place, they were often not obligating local authorities to track the births, deaths or marriages of area residents. This being the case, the first step is to determine in what state or territory your ancestors lived. For example, someone living in Virginia in 1780 may have truly been located in what is now Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania or Maryland. Likewise, someone listed as living in the Indiana Territory may have been in Detroit. As these governmental units developed and solidified their boundaries, the county lines were still evolving. County-level histories and Web sites can help to determine the exact boundaries encircling the family being researched. | ||
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Use vital records of births, deaths, and marriages to learn about an ancestor's birth, death, or marriage in a given town, county, or state. | Use vital records of births, deaths, and marriages to learn about an ancestor's birth, death, or marriage in a given town, county, or state. | ||
'''Pre 1870 Slave vs Free''' | '''Pre 1870 Slave vs Free''' (county, slave holder, church and state ) | ||
== Searching Vital Records == | == Searching Vital Records == | ||