All U.S. Census Records Now Available!

Posted May 1, 2013 by Amanda | Comments Off

When we first introduced Record Matches and Smart Matches™ on Geni, we told you that you could look forward to additional collections of historical records in the future. Today, we’re happy to announce that the entire collection of U.S. Federal Censuses are now available to Geni users through Record Matches.

This collection is the nation’s largest and most important set of records and includes a huge searchable index and all scanned images of the original census documents, spanning every decade from 1790-1940, covering some 520 million names.

A page from the 1790 U.S. Census (click to zoom)

Historical records are invaluable to everyone interested in his or her family history. Census records are among the best records available as they document almost everyone in a given country on a specific date or dates during that year. They are a source of rich information about those individuals recorded, offering name, age, address, birthplace, members of household, occupation and education.

The U.S. Federal census is conducted every 10 years. The censuses are released to the public after 72 years. Finding a person in a census record often opens the door to additional discoveries. This collection helps people to step back in time as it provides a snapshot into the lives of our ancestors from 1790 to 1930. Here’s an infographic from MyHeritage depicting life in America during this time:

Life in the USA 1790-1930 (click to zoom)

With our Record Matching technology, you’ll automatically receive notifications about census records which match profiles in your family tree. A summary view of the match is free; as are matches to the 1940 U.S. Federal Census. A MyHeritage Data subscription is required to view the censuses from 1790-1930 in full and attach them as sources to your family tree on Geni. Once you upgrade, you will be one click away from finding matching U.S. census records for your family.

Note that it may take time for matches to this new census collection to appear on your tree. In the meantime, you can use your MyHeritage Data subscription to search the census records on SuperSearch – MyHeritage’s online digital archive. SuperSearch contains over 4 billion records, including birth, marriage, death, burial, military, immigration, yearbooks and the world’s largest collection of newspapers. A single Data subscription will provide you with full access to Record Matches and Smart Matches™ on Geni, as well as full access to SuperSearch, thus making a subscription even more valuable!

The new records include the remaining fragments of the 1890 U.S. Federal Census, which was mostly destroyed in a fire.

A page from the 1890 U.S. Census (click to zoom)

MyHeritage is the only company to deliver discoveries from the U.S. censuses to a global audience. We’re focused on bringing worldwide content to our international audiences, so expect to see significant record collections from many countries being added in the near future and beyond.

New information revealed in the censuses automatically triggers a domino effect of new discoveries. A summary of the record can be viewed for free, and users can choose to upgrade to a MyHeritage Data subscription for full, unlimited access to all Record Matches and Smart Matches™.

A page from the 1910 U.S. Census (click to zoom)

If your family includes people who lived in the U.S. during these years, you will be able to find them here, learn more about them, and perhaps discover additional family members you didn’t know about previously.

Having these census documents enables families worldwide to trace snapshots of their ancestors’ lives from 1790 to 1930, and discover family data throughout American history.

Add character and personality to your family legacy – check out your Record Matches now to see what new discoveries await.