Vital Records Database
Vital records are civil or government documents created to document a birth, death, or marriage. For family historians, birth, marriage, and death locations and dates are the foundational family tree building blocks. These documents help to identify and confirm our ancestors - and find clues that can lead to more rich details about your ancestors’ lives. These records are full of personal details that not only paint a more vibrant picture of our ancestors' lives - and can also lead to additional family history discoveries.
The Vital Statistics System in the U.S.
All 50 states—and a few U.S. cities and territories—have a bureau or department of vital and health statistics. This department oversees the creation, preservation, and access to birth, marriage, and death (BMD) records. While some states kept vital records for years at the city or county level, most states did not start consistently keeping uniform vital records until the early 1900s.
Birth records document the birth of a child by the midwife or the medical professional . The U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth provides the name, birth date, and birthplace of the child, mother, and father, as well as each parent’s race. If your ancestor was born before standardized records were instituted, you may still be able to find legal documentation of their birth in the form of a delayed birth certificate. Delayed birth certificates allowed individuals born before the civil registration of births was formalized to apply for a birth certificate — usually as proof of birth for Social Security or passport applications.
Marriage records are among the oldest form of vital records. The reason for this was marriage had legal ramifications with inheritance, property, and legitimacy. The U.S. Standard Certificate of Marriage lists the bride and groom's name, residence, date and place of birth, and both parent's names and places of birth, including their mother's maiden name. It also has information about the bride and groom’s race, thier occupation, if they had been previously married, and if so, what ended the previous marriage (death, divorce, or annulment).
Death records document the end of someone's life. These records can also provide invalluable rich details. In addition to the name, death records can include the place and date of birth, as well as the p[erson's occupation, marital status, residence, and parents' names. They can also have details like date and place of death, burial date and place, and the name and residence of the informant who provided the details.