Virtual Genealogy Fair at the National Archives

Editor's note: Today's post was written by Richard Hanson.

Mark your calendar. One week from now begins the first ever virtual genealogy fair presented by the National Archives. It is a two-day event (Sept. 3 & 4). You can view the presentations on your computer and send in questions.

September 3rd:
  7 a.m. PST – Introduction to Military Records at the
                          National Archives
  8 a.m. PST – Introduction to Genealogy: Civilian
  9 a.m. PST – Alien Files (A-Files)
10 a.m. PST – Native American Records
11 a.m. PST – National Archives Online Resources for Genealogy
12 noon PST – Immigration/Naturalization & Citizenship

September 4th:
  7 a.m. PST – Freedman's Bank
  8 a.m. PST – Military & Civilian Personnel Records: The National Archives
                         at St. Louis
  9 a.m. PST – Civil War Pension Files
10 a.m. PST – Federal Penitentiary Records
11 a.m. PST – U.S. Colored Troops
12 noon PST – Navy Deck Logs
  1 p.m. PST – Chinese Exclusion Acts Case Files

Viewing the streaming video is very easy. You just go to the URL specified in their instructions. It is best to do a test connect prior to 7 a.m. Sept. 3. If there is a problem, you will have time to follow their troubleshooting instructions.

For more information, schedule and connection instructions:
http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/know-your-records/genealogy-fair/

Shop and Support Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society.
Click here for details.

NARA comes to the Big Apple

Recently read on UpFront, the NGS blog:

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recently announced a fall 2012 opening of the new location for the National Archives at New York City—the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at One Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan.

Great news if your research takes you to this region!

posted by Denise H. Richmond

New Videos from the National Archives

The National Archives has launched new online videos of its most popular genealogy “how to” workshops. These videos cover “hot topics” in genealogical research such as Civil War records, online resources and databases, and more. These workshops led by National Archives experts are available on the National Archives YouTube channel at http://tinyurl.com/NARAGenie.

The National Archives–produced Know Your Records video shorts cover the creation, scope, content, and use of National Archives records for genealogical research. “We are happy to make more of our most popular genealogy lectures available online. We welcome researcher feedback and will continue to make more workshops available online for free for viewing by anyone, anywhere, at any time,” said Diane Dimkoff, Director of Customer Services.

For the first time, researchers and staff voted for their favorite topics—and the National Archives listened:

Access to Archival Databases (AAD) for Genealogists (54:57) http://tinyurl.com/NARAaad -- National Archives electronic records expert Dan Law discusses using electronic records for genealogy research and shows how to access such records using the National Archives Access to Archival Databases (AAD) online search engine.

Documenting Death in the Civil War (1:22:29) http://tinyurl.com/NARACivWar --
National Archives genealogy expert John Deeben explores War Department death records created during and after the Civil War. These records show how the government documented personal circumstances of soldiers’ deaths on the battlefield, in military hospitals, and in prisons.

Let No Man Put Asunder: Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records (1:12:09) http://tinyurl.com/FreedmensBur -- National Archives archivist Reginald Washington explores marriage records from the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (the Freedmen's Bureau). The Freedmen’s Bureau provided assistance to tens of thousands of former slaves and impoverished whites in the Southern states and the District of Columbia. These records from 1865 through 1872 constitute the richest and most extensive documentary source for investigating the African American experience in the post–Civil War and Reconstruction eras.

Army Service in the Civil War: An Overview (1:02:44) http://youtu.be/nUTbjQM32vc -- Over 2.8 million men (and a few hundred women) served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. National Archives genealogy expert John Deeben demonstrates how to research and use Civil War Army service records.

Exodus to Kansas: The 1880 Senate Investigation of the Beginnings of the African American Migration from the South (1:05:26) http://tinyurl.com/Exoduster --
National Archives archivist Damani Davis examines Federal records relating to the “Kansas Exodus” (the so-called “Exoduster” movement), which was the first instance of voluntary, mass migration among African Americans. This mass exodus generated considerable attention throughout the nation and resulted in a major 1880 Senate investigation. For more information, see http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2008/summer/exodus.html.

National Archives Records on Ancestry.com (56:38) -- Ancestry.com has digitized selected National Archives microfilm publications and original records and made them available on their web sites for a fee. Lead Family Historian for Ancestry.com Anastasia Harman discusses these records and their use for genealogy research. Access to Ancestry.com and Fold3 (formerly Footnote.com) is available free of charge in all National Archives Research Rooms, including those in our regional archives and Presidential Libraries. For a list of National Archives records available online through Ancestry.com and other digitization partners, see http://www.archives.gov/digitization/digitized-by-partners.html.

Background on “Know Your Records” programs
The National Archives holds the permanently valuable records of the Federal Government. These include records of interest to genealogists, such as pension files, ship passenger lists, census and Freedmen’s Bureau materials. The “Know Your Records Program” offers opportunities for staff, volunteers, and researchers to learn about these records through lectures, ongoing genealogy programs, workshops, symposia, the annual genealogy fair, an online genealogy tutorial, reference reports for genealogical research, and editions of Researcher News for Washington, DC, area researchers.

Source: news release from the National Archives
submitted by Nancy Lenoil, State Archivist of California
posted by Denise H. Richmond

National Archives Announces Website for Free 1940 Census Release Online on April 2, 2012

Tomorrow Starts the Countdown of ’40 Days to the ’40 Census’
Washington, DC…Today the National Archives, with its partner Archives.com, launched its new website www.1940census.archives.gov in preparation for its first-ever online U.S. census release, which will take place on April 2, 2012, at 9 a.m. (EST). The public is encouraged to bookmark the website now in order to more quickly access the 1940 census data when it goes live. No other website will host the 1940 census data on its April 2 release date.
The National Archives has teamed up with the U.S. Census Bureau to celebrate “40 Days to the ’40 Census.” Using social media channels to post videos, images, facts, and links to workshops nationwide, the National Archives is getting its researchers ready for the online launch on April 2. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (using hashtag #1940Census), Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, YouTube, and subscribe to our blogs: NARAtions and Prologue: Pieces of History.
On April 2, 2012, users will be able to search, browse, and download the 1940 census schedules, free of charge, from their own computers or from the public computers at National Archives locations nationwide through the new 1940 census website: www.1940census.archives.gov.
A National Archives 3:13 minute video short on its YouTube channel (http://tiny.cc/1940Census).
Background on the 1940 Census While the original intent of the census was to determine how many representatives each state was entitled to send to the U.S. Congress, it has become a vital tool for Federal agencies in determining allocation of Federal funds and resources. The census is also a key research tool for sociologists, demographers, historians, political scientists and genealogists. Many of the questions on the 1940 census are the standard ones: name, age, gender, and race, education, and place of birth. But the 1940 census also asks many new questions, some reflecting concerns of the Great Depression. The instructions ask the enumerator to enter a circled x after the name of the person furnishing the information about the family; whether the person worked for the CCC, WPA, or NYA the week of March 24–30, 1940; and income for the 12 months ending December 31, 1939. The 1940 census also has a supplemental schedule for two names on each page. The supplemental schedule asks the place of birth of the person's father and mother; the person's usual occupation, not just what they were doing the week of March 24–30, 1940; and for all women who are or have been married, has this woman been married more than once and age at first marriage.
For the release of the 1940 census online, the National Archives has digitized the entire census, creating more than 3.8 million digital images of census schedules, maps, and enumeration district descriptions.

Press Release from NARA
Posted by Ron Setzer

Follow Friday - NARA San Bruno Workshops

I've posted before about the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) Pacific Region office in San Bruno. Only a hundred miles or so from downtown Sacramento.  Their 2012 workshop schedule is now available and looks pretty good.  Field trip?

National Archives and Records Administration   
PACIFIC REGION
1000 COMMODORE DRIVE
SAN BRUNO, CALIFORNIA 94066-2350
www.nara.gov/regional

                                                   2012 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

NATIONAL ARCHIVES AT SAN FRANCISCO IN SAN BRUNO, CA

Census Records Research

April 13, Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 1:00P.M.

Rose Mary Kennedy, Genealogy Specialist

Passenger Arrival and Naturalization Records

May 11, Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

Rose Mary Kennedy, Genealogy Specialist

Military – Part I: Revolutionary War to Civil War

June 8, Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 1:00P.M.

Rose Mary Kennedy, Genealogy Specialist

Military - Part II: Spanish American to Viet Nam

July 20 Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

Rose Mary Kennedy, Genealogist Specialist

Federal Land Records

August 17, Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

Rose Mary Kennedy, Genealogist Specialist

Freedmen Bureau Records

August 31, Friday, 9:00A.M. to 12 Noon

Deborah Osterberg, Indian Specialist

Preserving Your History

September 14, Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 1:00P.M.

Rose Mary Kennedy, Genealogist Specialist

All workshops will be held at the National Archives and Records Administration - Pacific Region (San Bruno) 1000 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, CA 94066

To register and reserve a space contact: Rose Mary Kennedy 650-238-3488.

Fees are $15 payable in advance.

posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Want to Learn More About the 1940 US Federal Census?

There is going to be a lot of learning opportunities for all of us with the coming release of  the 1940 US Federal Census. It will be released on 2 April 2012.

I see all types of classes, sessions, workshops and webinars dedicated to teaching us about this census and how you can help in the indexing to really make it easier for ALL of us to locate our ancestors. Some of you will be looking for yourself - YIPPEE!!! and some of us will be waiting for the 1950 US Federal Census to find ourselves. OH MY!!

One the first ones for you to take advantage of is a "Webinar" (online class session) sponsored by the Friends of the National Archives, Southeast Region called "Introduction to the 1940 Federal Census"

Monday, January 9, 2012  at 7-8pm EST or 4-5pm PST right in front of your own computer online. (YES!!  this is very timely, it is this coming Monday)

 Register Here   you do need to register, it is free. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to click on when it is time. I would suggest going on 10-15 minutes earlier. The link with your confirmation will take you to the 1940 census webinar. Remember, it will be at 4pm Pacific Time NOT 7pm Eastern Time.

Speaker: Constance Potter, staff archivist and genealogy specialist, will talk about the questions on the 1940 census emphasizing the new questions including the supplemental schedule.

Other places to go for additional information about the coming release of the 1940 Federal Census:

Facebook

FamilySearch announcement about their partnership with FindMyPast.com and Archives.com to get it indexed quickly. Family Search Indexing

Check out the Sacramento Central Library (8th & I Sts) for January 15, 2012. Stephen Morse with Getting Ready for the 1940 Census.

.........and many other places too. Keep your eyes open for other opportunities and share them with us...

Root Cellar SGS (thank you for the email) or leave a comment.


Posted by Sandra Gardner Benward

Tuesday's Tip - Do you know the way to San Bruno?

From Sacramento California, take I-80W or I-80W and I-680S to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Pacific Region office in San Bruno.  It's about a 100 mile drive from downtown Sacramento.  The office is officially called the National Archive at San Francisco.

NARA Pacific Region holdings are comprised of Federal records from northern and central California, Nevada (except Clark County), Hawaii, American Samoa and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and constitute a major primary resource for the study of Asian-Pacific immigration, environmental, Naval, Native American, and many other aspects of American history. Their website has links to a newsletter; the services for genealogists; and classes/workshops. Below is a list of the upcoming classes:

Military - Part II Spanish American to Viet-Nam
June 17, Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M
Rose Mary Kennedy, Genealogy Specialist

Federal Land Records
July 8, Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
Rose Mary Kennedy, Genealogist Specialist

Freedmen Bureau Records
July 22, Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon
Deborah Osterberg, Archives Technician

Preserving Your History
August 5, Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
Rose Mary Kennedy, Genealogist Specialist

To Register and for more information:
Contact Rose Mary Kennedy at 650-238-3488 or send her an e-mail at rosemary.kennedy@nara.gov.

Cost:
Fees are $15, payable in advance.

Location::
All workshops will be held at the National Archives at San Francisco
1000 Commodore Drive
San Bruno, California 94066-2350

Posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond
Tuesday's Tip is just one of the daily blog themes suggested by Geneabloggers. Get your ancestors noticed here - submit content to rootcellarsgs@gmail.com.

Handouts from NARA Genealogy Fair

If you were like me, you weren't in Washington, D.C. on April 21-22 for the 7th Annual Genealogy Fair sponsored by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).  The annual event showcases records held at NARA.  Luckily, the handouts are available at the NARA website.

Note:  This is an example of the information you can learn about by subscribing to GeneaPress, a blog devoted to genealogically-related press releases.

Posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond