The federal census was established in 1790 and is taken every 10 years. However, it's important to know that each census year collected different levels of information, and not all records are readily available. For instance:
Availability of marriage records depends on the quality of record keeping within the county where the marriage occurred and/or the quality of record keeping of the particular church where a couple married. You can find many marriage records through large database searches on platforms like Ancestry.com or Familysearch.org. However, if you don't find one there, don't assume it doesn't exist! Check in with the county where you suspect the couple was married to find out what years of marriage records are available, and also check your assumption that the couple married in that very county.
Death records are very 20th century, so don't expect to consistently find formal death records much earlier than that. However, there are other related records you can use to determine approximate date of death and potential heirs, including:
These records often involve 'legalese', so you might want to contact a genealogist or do some historical research to help you determine what these different records can mean.
As you begin your research, you will discover that there are many historical sources you can use to learn about your family. Here are some of the most common:
One of the first things to note about each of these types of records is that their availability depends on the place and time where your ancestors lived. For instance, the state of Georgia did not require statewide registration of vital records until 1919, so many counties do not have birth or death records consistently available before that year. Similarly, U.S. Census records can be very insightful, but the federal census was only recorded every 10 years from 1790 onward, and since census records cannot be released to the public until 72 years after they're collected, the most recent census forms we can view are those from 1940. Additionally, some census records were lost to history, such as the case of the 1890 census, most of which burned in a fire in 1921.
Given the variability of records, it is often best to start with local resources where your ancestors lived. Talk to local libraries and state archives to learn more about the records that are available to you.
