Introduction For Territorial Papers of U.S. Books By Jack Stemmons, A.G., C.G.R.S After the Revolutionary War, many people desired to move west and obtain inexpensive land in the vast areas acquired by their new country between 1783 and 1803. The period following our nation�s struggle for independence witnessed one of history�s greatest migrations as a large percentage of United States citizens and foreign immigrants moved from the Eastern Seaboard to the territories. Few records were kept until an orderly form of government was established. Of course, record destruction took its toll. Therefore, many of our most difficult genealogy problems occur when researching the period of the first territories of the United States. And, as luck would have it, many of the missing federal censuses are for territories before they became a state. One of the best resources for this period is The Territorial Papers of the United States (listed below) which contains a wealth of information on many thousands of individuals, making it an excellent substitute for lost census records. Numerous records not originated by states or counties are contained in these volumes. These books are one of the most underused resources for the U. S. territorial period because many researchers are unaware of their existence. Visit Census Trail at: http://www.censustrail.com/index.php ############## The above sent to me from Newsline: Whether you are a professional genealogist or a scrapbookin' hobbyist, you should receive the Newsline. It is a FREE weekly newsletter about family history and research provided by Family History Network. Newsline offers tips, method and information, which will increase accuracy in obtaining results for persons of all levels of skill and interest. Through the Newsline, Family History Network will also inform you of upcoming genealogical events and other matters of interest. To begin receiving this FREE wealth of information from America's leading genealogical helper since 1947, click here. Family History Network: http://www.familyhistorynetwork.net/ --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search - Find what you�re looking for faster.