Before I had kids, I had actual hobbies (gasp). I loved dancing, scrapbooking and even dabbled in genealogy. Through searching for the branches of my family tree, I learned more than just names and birthplaces of my ancestors. News articles, death certificates and marriage licenses helped reveal the struggles and triumphs that made my family what it is today.
One of the first places you can look to research your heritage is the wealth of information found in the United States Census. On April 2, 2012, NARA released the digital images of the 1940 census after a 72 year embargo. This census included many standard questions such as age, sex and race but also introduced new questions. For the first time, people were asked their occupation, highest level of education and detailed income in the 1940 census. In addition, women were asked how many times they had been married, how many children they had given birth to and age at first marriage. These new questions will give genealogists a wealth of information!
If you have additional questions, please feel free to visit the Family Search Google + page!
