Historic Records Provide an Inside Look at Life in New England
from Colonial Era to Present Day
(PROVO, Utah) – July 18, 2013 –Ancestry.com
the world’s largest online family history resource,
has added more than 220 million historical New England records to its
existing databases, creating the most comprehensive collection of
New England records available online. Included in the new collections
are birth, marriage and death records for hundreds of millions of
residents in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island and Vermont, as well as images, diaries and
articles from Colonial times to the 1980s.
“Many
Americans have roots in New England, and with the addition of these
records to our site, Ancestry.com offers an unprecedented amount of
information for those who want
to search and discover their New England history,” said Daniel Jones,
Vice President of Content for Ancestry.com.
Over
the past few months, Ancestry.com has spent more than 10,000 hours
digitizing and indexing historical records from the region in order to
make them easily accessible
online. The new records reveal countless facts of people from the
region, from population to job growth, while also bringing insights into
the life of notable New Englanders.
Life in New England
While
the new records will help people discover their family’s New England
history, they also shed light on what life was like for the typical New
Englander in various periods
of the region’s history:
- Battle of the Sexes – If you were looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right in the 1850s, you may have had better luck moving to a neighboring state. In Vermont during the 1850s, men outnumbered women by more than 35,000. Just over the border in Massachusetts, women actually outnumbered men by 68,000.
- Role of Technology in Transforming Jobs – New England has always been a hub for the latest technology. In the 1850s, the top tech jobs included cotton and wool mill workers, as well as shoe makers. By the 1940s, being a machinist meant you had the hot New England tech career. During that period, the number of farmers in New England declined by 66 percent, proving technology was the future.
Notable New Englanders
The
new collections are not only a treasure trove of information for those
trying to learn more about their family origins, but also those
interested in learning more about
notable New Englanders throughout history. Norman Rockwell’s indexed
death record and Benjamin Franklin’s birth record are included in the
new collections, along with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s obituary and even a
record of Dr. Seuss’ birth (Theodor Geisel). The
new collections also contain unique subject matter such as original
letters regarding the Salem Witch trials.
The Name Legacy of a Founding Father
The new collections also reveal that the
nation’s Founding Fathers left a lasting impression in many New
England families. From 1850-1940 more than 500 people were named after
John Adams, compared to 37 named after George Washington.
From July 18-21st,
Ancestry.com will make all of these impactful records from the New
England Historic Genealogical Society – along with several other New
England record
sets – available free of charge for the public to search. This will enable beginner and expert family historians alike to explore curiosities and research their New England heritage.
Credits: Image "Green Free Button" by nuttakit from freedigitalphotos.net
Credits: Image "Green Free Button" by nuttakit from freedigitalphotos.net
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