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Research: U.S. 20th Century Records, Including Adoption Records
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NOTE: This course requires compulsory materials to be ordered. Please click on the Supplies tab for details.

Genealogists have one, two, or three generations of ancestors to track through the 20th century; a century marked by an emphasis on privacy and the closure of records.

This six-module course provides a foundation for researching twentieth-century sources. It includes evidence analysis exercises, source citation practice, and application of genealogical standards. (Genealogy Standards, Second Edition, or Genealogy Standards, 50th Anniversary Edition, is compulsory reading for this course.) Adoption research is featured in many of the examples.


Course Content

Module 1

Introduction
• Commonly Used Sources
• Genealogical Proof Standard
The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual
• Evidence Analysis Terminology
 
Compiled Records
Introduction
• Internet Searches
• Evaluating Internet Resources
• Internet Search Engines
• Google
• Use CARS to Analyze a Compiled Family Tree
 
Adoption
• Types of Adoption Records
• Non-identifying Information Example
 
Search for Living Persons
• An Unclaimed Person
 
Summary and the Genealogical Proof Standard
• Thorough Search
• Source Citation
 
Additional Useful References

Module 2
Vital Records: Birth, Marriage & Death
 
Access to Birth Records
• Search for Birth Parents
 
Pre-Adoption Birth Record
• Analysis of the Information
 
Death Records
• Social Security Death Index
• Application for Social Security Account Number
 
Older Death Records
• Other Records Created at the Time of Death
• Probate Records
• Obituary
• Tombstone Inscriptions
• Funeral Home Records
 
Marriage Records
Locating Vital Records
Summary and the Genealogical Proof Standard
 

Module 3
Censuses and City Directories
 
Does the Census Correlate with Other Information?
• 1930 Census Leitch
 
Does One Census Correlate with Other Censuses?
Censuses as a Source of Clues
 
Censuses as a Source of Demographic Information
• Historic Census Browser
 
City Directories
State Gazetteers
Summary and the Genealogical Proof Standard
 

Module 4
Newspapers
 
Newspaper Source Citations
 
Family Archives
• Write a Source Citation
 
Libraries
Interlibrary Loan
Ask A Librarian
Legal Notices
Online Newspapers
Summary and the Genealogical Proof Standard
 

Module 5
Land Records
 
Source Citations
Land Records Terminology
Land Records Overview
Evidence Analysis
 
Where are Land Records Located?
• Deed Indexes
 
How Do We Know if Our Ancestors Owned Land?
Census to Land Records Example
City Directories
Federal Lands
Terminology
Summary and the Genealogical Proof Standard
 

Module 6
Military Records
Websites
• General
• Philippine Insurrection
• World War I
• World War II
• Cemetery
 
Draft Records
• World War I Draft Registration Cards
• World War II Fourth Draft Registration
• Evidence Analysis
 
World War I
• Records
• Casualties
 
War on the Home Front
 
World War II
• Where are the Records Located?
• Discharge
 
Philippine-American War, 1899-1902
• Personnel Records
 
Military Cemeteries
Summary and the Genealogical Proof Standard
Additional Resources
 
 

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