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Look at all the history ahead.

We asked members like you what kind of historical content you thought would add the most value to your Ancestry.com membership. Thanks to all the feedback we received, we continue to add millions of new records to the world’s largest online family history resource.

Here’s a partial list of records we plan to add in the second half of 2009, plus a sneak peek at a few collections coming in 2010. We’ll update this page every six months, so please visit often to find out what records to expect next.*

UPDATED AUGUST 2009

OUR LATEST ADDITIONS

Here are a few of the collections that have become available since we updated this page six months ago. Visit our Updated Databases page for a complete list of recently released content. And subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date on the newest records and features on Ancestry.com (click “My Account” on the homepage; then click “Update your email preferences” and check the “Ancestry.com Monthly Update” box).

CENSUS RECORDS AND VOTER LISTS

Improved U.S. Federal Censuses, 1800s–1900s

Before -- After

Besides the improvements already made to the 1810, 1820, 1880, and 1900 censuses, we'll continue our initiative to add newer, cleaner images for the rest of our 1800s censuses.

U.S. and World Deluxe

  • U.S. State Census Records, 1800s–1900s

    We continue to add vital records, state-by-state, and in the next six months we'll be adding a number of new records from various locations around the country.

  • U.S. Native American Records from Southeastern States, 1850–1930

    Track down your Native-American ancestors in original documents listing individuals and families from southern tribes.

  • New York Non-Population Census Schedules

    Census enumerators didn’t just record the general population. They sometimes took additional censuses such as agricultural, industrial and mortality schedules (for those who died 12 months before the census was taken). These can provide information on your ancestors such as the size of their farms; the kinds of crops, livestock and farming equipment they had; the type of business they owned; their profitability and more.

World Deluxe Only

  • 1930 Mexico Census

    This is the only Mexican federal census available to the public and it includes the names of about 16 million individuals. You’ll be able to search for your Mexican ancestors to discover their ages, birthplaces, occupations, religions and more.

  • Australia Electoral Rolls, 1901–1936

    We’re adding 8 million new names to our existing collection of Australian Electoral Rolls — incredibly helpful in a country where voting is compulsory.

  • Lubeck, Germany, Censuses, 1845, 1851, 1857, 1862

    National censuses were not taken in Germany for many years, so local censuses are particularly valuable. If your ancestors are from Lubeck, this collection could be a goldmine for you.

BIRTH, MARRIAGE AND DEATH RECORDS

Contemporary Birth and
Marriage Announcements

Search for family birth and marriage announcements in contemporary newspapers. Over the next six months we’ll begin gathering them from hundreds of U.S. newspapers.

U.S. and World Deluxe

  • U.S. State Vital Records

    In the next six months we’ll be adding a number of new vital records from various locations across the U.S., including Maine, Vermont, Delaware, Ohio, and Utah. We'll also be adding marriage records for the deaf, 1880s-1890s, and deaths of U.S. citizens abroad, 1960s–1970s.

  • Contemporary Obituaries

    Search the millions of obituaries we regularly collect from hundreds of newspapers across the country. We’ve nearly doubled the number of obituaries we add each week.

  • U.S. Mortality Schedules, 1850–1880

    Can’t find your ancestors in the U.S. census? Check our mortality schedules. These are special lists of people who died in the 12 months before the census was taken.

  • Social Security Death Index

    This database, kept by the Social Security Death Administration, lists information on all individuals with Social Security Numbers whose deaths were reported. We add about 200,000 names a month to this collection.

World Deluxe Only

  • London Parish Records, 1500s–1900s

    Example

    Earlier last year, we made a deal with the London Metropolitan Archives to digitize nearly 77 million records from London going back 400 years. We’ve already added 250,000 records from poor houses. We’ll begin adding parish records in the next six months. Parish (or church) records contain information on baptisms, marriages and burials. Parishes were the only places that recorded this information before the government began keeping records in 1837.

  • Italian Vital Records, 1800s–1900s

    Example

    Search millions of birth, marriage and death records from the Liguria, Genova, Sicily, Valle d'Aosta and Basilicata regions of Italy. Some of these records will become part of the Ancestry.com World Archives Project for community members to help transcribe.

  • French Vital Records, 1600s–1900s

    Example

    We’ll be adding vital records from the area around Paris as well as the departments of Oise, Allier and Alpes-Maritimes.

  • Australian Cemetery Records

    Search indexes for hundreds of thousands of headstones and memorials from cemeteries in New South Wales and Victoria.

  • Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Church Records, 1876–1918

    Example

    Before it became standard practice for the government to record important life events, records were kept in churches. This collection contains more than 300,000 names transcribed from original church records about births, marriages, confirmations and deaths.

IMMIGRATION RECORDS

U.S. Naturalization Records, 1700s–1900s

Immigration Records

We’ll continue adding to this collection in the coming months. Look for millions more records from states like Florida, New York, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut, Hawaii, Alaska, Maine, Tennessee, Louisiana, California, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts and other states.

U.S. and World Deluxe

  • Immigrant Ship Photos, Paintings and Drawings, 1850–1950

    Example

    View actual photos, drawings and paintings of the ships your ancestors may have taken to America.

  • New York State Passenger and Crew Lists, 1940s–1970s

    These include passenger and crew lists for vessels arriving at Buffalo, Lackawanna, North Tonawanda, Rouses Point and Waddington, New York.

World Deluxe Only

  • Records of Aliens Arriving in England, 1794–1921

    Example

    Did your ancestors spend time in the UK? These records of aliens living there can provide valuable information about their movements and place of origin.

  • Victoria, Australia Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839–1923

    Search millions of records for immigrants arriving at ports in Victoria, Australia.

  • Alsace-Lorraine, France, Citizenship Declarations, 1872

    Following the Franco-Prussian war, Alsace-Lorraine changed hands from France to Germany. Citizens had the option to choose French or German citizenship. Their decisions were recorded in these records, which are rich with personal vital information. There are nearly half a million records in this collection.

MILITARY RECORDS

Completion of the British Army Service Records, 1914–1920

Military Records

It’s taken us several years to complete this extensive collection of World War I records containing detailed information on soldiers and non-commissioned officers. While many of these records were tragically destroyed during WWII, those that survived are a goldmine of information ranging from two to 50 pages and including items like enlistment papers, medical histories, battle records, lists of awards, discharge papers and more.

U.S. and World Deluxe

  • U.S. Navy Cruise Books, 1900s

    Example

    These extremely rare and valuable “yearbooks” include photos and facts about the crews of specific U.S. Navy ship missions or tours of duty. You could learn where the mission took place, what your ancestors’ responsibilities included and much more.

  • Interior and VA Pension and Bounty Land Appellate Decisions, 1887–1935

    These 25 large printed volumes contain decisions relating to veterans’ pension and bounty land claims appealed administratively. These claims had to do with land warrants or vouchers given to soldiers as compensation. This collection contains names, reasons for claims, why they were denied, plus family information and more.

World Deluxe Only

  • Bavarian Army Rosters, World War I

    Example

    Search documents detailing the Bavarian soldiers who participated in WWI. Muster rolls can include personal information like names, birth dates, birthplaces, religions, occupations and the names of spouses and parents, plus details of military service.

  • British Army Roll of Honour, 1939–1945

    Those with British ancestors who fought during World War II will appreciate this collection featuring details for more than 170,000 British Army casualties.

  • Ireland, Casualties of World War I, 1914–1918

    Search more than 49,000 records for soldiers of Irish birth or residency who died during World War I.

  • Militia Records from Perth, Scotland

    Community members will be able to transcribe this collection as part of the Ancestry.com World Archives Project. It consists of a survey taken in 1802 to document all men in the Burgh of Perth liable for service in the militia.

DIRECTORIES AND MEMBER LISTS

U.S. City Directories, 1780s–1970s

Directories and Member Lists

These directories can help fill gaps in historical records and can be a good place to find heads of household between census years. We’re continually adding to this collection, so you can expect to see thousands more directories from all 50 states and a variety of time periods added over the next six months.

U.S. and World Deluxe

  • School Yearbooks, 1900s–Present

    Look for many more yearbooks in the coming months. You could discover photos of your ancestors in their younger days and even learn about their school activities.

World Deluxe Only

  • London, England School Admission and Discharges, 1841–1911

    Example

    Records of admission and withdrawal from London schools include dates of admission and birth, along with the names and addresses of parents or guardians. These records are not only useful for research but also make an interesting study of social history.

  • France Phone Directory, 1907

    This directory includes more than 180,000 entries for French residents. It also includes some phone listings for Oran, Algeria and the principality of Monaco.

COURT, LAND AND FINANCIAL
RECORDS AND WILLS

Land Records, 1800s–1900s

Court Land and Financial Records and Wills

Access even more land records from the Bureau of Land Management and the General Land Office. You could find original purchases or grants of huge plots of land that were once in your family.

U.S. and World Deluxe

  • Prison Records, 1800s–1900s

    View fascinating federal, military and state penitentiary records that may contain previously hidden facts about your ancestors. Some prison records include a picture, vital information, the crime committed, plus arrival and discharge dates.

World Deluxe Only

  • New South Wales, Australia, Convict Registers of Conditional and Absolute Pardons, 1791–1846

    This collection of records for convicts in Australia covers those who were pardoned, conditionally or absolutely, from serving the remainder of their long-term sentence — 14 years to life. If a criminal received a conditional pardon, he or she had to remain in the colony. The opposite is true if they did not.

OTHER FASCINATING BITS OF HISTORY

Historical Sears Roebuck Catalogs

Other Fascinating Bits of History

Beginning in the late 1800s, Sears Roebuck catalogs became the quintessential American shopping guide. Your ancestors from this time period probably used these catalogs to purchase everything from refrigerators to dolls to automobiles.

U.S. and World Deluxe

  • Historical Postcards, 1890s–1960s

    Postcards from the past can say so much about old times. Browse through thousands of one-of-a-kind picture postcards from big cities to small hamlets around the world.

  • Invention Patents, 1790–1909

    Our ancestors may not have known how the future would turn out. But some of them helped shape it. View wild, obscure and downright cool invention documents with searchable names, dates and places.

  • Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition, 1911

    The best-known encyclopedia of the 18th and 19th centuries, this is still an incredible source of information. The 11th edition is particularly well known for its biographical information.

  • Virgin Islands Slave Records, 1700s–1900s

    Example

    The Virgin Islands kept some of the most comprehensive slave records during the transatlantic slave trade. Many can be used to trace ancestry back to continental Africa. And since many slaves landed in the Caribbean before being transported to the continental U.S., these records can be extremely helpful.

  • Jewish Records, 1800s–1900s

    We have the largest online collection of Jewish family history records available and our strong partnerships with Jewish organizations will help us add even more. Look for orphan asylum records, census records from Eastern European towns, Jewish naturalization and assistance records and many others.

  • U.S. Historical Newspapers, 1700s–Present

    Example

    Access millions more pages of historical U.S. newspapers from small towns and big cities across the land. Breathe new life into your research with the breaking news of the day, gossip columns, entertainment listings, ads, legal notices, articles featuring your ancestors and much more.

  • Universal Newsreels, 1950s–1960s

    Once upon a time, movie theaters played fun and interesting newsreels rather than trailers before a film started. These reels featured everything from sports to science news. You’ll be seeing lots more of them on Ancestry.com in the near future.

COMING IN 2010

Improvements to the 1910 and 1920 U.S. censuses

Coming in 2010

We're updating all of our U.S. censuses with cleaner, clearer images. We're scheduled to finish the 1910 and 1920 updates in 2010. In addition to the new images, we'll be adding millions of new alternate names. If it was difficult to figure out a name before ("Floyd" or "Lloyd?"), now both versions will be included in the index so you can find the record by searching for either name.

  • Confederate Pension Records

    Example

    Although the U.S. government didn’t pay pensions to Confederate veterans, former Confederate states did. These pension records are quite detailed (often 30+ pages) and typically include marriage information, property schedules, details of service and more. Some pension records even include family letters, discharge papers and marriage, birth and death records — anything to prove the veteran or his family was eligible for a pension.

  • California Railroad Employment Records

    Example

    These employment records come from railroad companies in California and contain pay lists as well as various other employment records for people working on the railroad. Many of these workers were Chinese immigrants who came to build the railroad across America.

  • College Alumni Lists

    These alumni lists from U.S. colleges and universities often contain more personal information than you would find in a standard yearbook. This could include degrees, occupations, addresses, death dates and more.

  • London, England Electoral Registers, 1881–1965

    Since England’s census records don’t become public for 101 years after they were taken, this collection of electoral registers can be particularly useful for researching more contemporary ancestors. After 1918 all males were allowed to vote whether or not they owned property and after 1928 all females were allowed to vote as well.

  • London, England Land Tax Records, 1791–1805

    Wonder what paying taxes was like for your ancestors? If they owned more than 20 shillings’ worth of land and lived in London, they’re likely to be in these tax records, which include landowners and occasionally their tenants.

  • And more…

    We’ll always be updating our family and local history books, state vital records collections, state census collections, contemporary obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, U.S. city directories, U.S. yearbooks, U.S. historical newspapers, U.S. naturalization records, U.S. passenger and crew lists, African American records, many international collections and others.

*We’re working hard to make sure all of these records are released according to schedule; however, unforeseeable events may occasionally delay a collection’s release.

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