Researching Ancestors Using the Canadian Census

Researching Ancestors Using the Canadian Census Canadian census returns contain the official enumeration of the population of Canada, making them one of the most useful sources for genealogical research in Canada. Canadian census records can help you learn such things as when and where your ancestor was born, when the immigrant ancestor arrived in Canada, and the names of parents and other family members. Canadian census records officially  go back to 1666, when King Louis XIV requested a count of the number of landowners in New France. The first census conducted by the national government of Canada didnt occur until 1871, however, and has been taken every ten years since (every five years since 1971). To protect the privacy of living individuals, Canadian census records are kept confidential for a period of 92 years; the most recent Canadian census to be released to the public is 1921. The 1871 census covered the four original provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. 1881 marked the first coast-to-coast Canadian census. One major exception to the concept of a national Canadian census, is Newfoundland, which was not a part of Canada until 1949, and thus was not included in most Canadian census returns. Labrador was, however, enumerated in the 1871 Census of Canada (Quebec, Labrador District) and the 1911 Canadian Census (Northwest Territories, Labrador Sub-district). What You Can Learn From Canadian Census Records National Canadian Census, 1871-1911The 1871 and later Canadian census records list the following information for each individual in the household: name, age, occupation, religious affiliation, an birthplace (province or country). The 1871 and 1881 Canadian censuses also list the fathers origin or ethnic background. The 1891 Canadian census asked for the parents birthplaces, as well as identification of French Canadians. It is also important as the first national Canadian census to identify the relationship of individuals to the head of household. The 1901 Canadian census is also a hallmark for genealogy research as it asked for the complete birth date (not just the year), as well as the year the person immigrated to Canada, the year of naturalization, and the fathers racial or tribal origin. Canada Census Dates The actual census date varied from census to census, but is important in helping to determine an individuals probable age. The dates of the censuses are as follows: 1871 - 2 April1881 - 4 April1891 - 6 April1901 - 31 March1911 - 1 June1921 - 1 June Where to Find the Canadian Census Online Ancestry.com FamilySearch Historical RecordsAutomated Genealogy Library and Archives of Canada

Civil Rights Movement Timeline From 1951 to 1959

Civil Rights Movement Timeline From 1951 to 1959 This  civil rights movement  timeline chronicles the fight for racial equality in its early days, the  1950s. That decade saw the first major victories for civil rights in the Supreme Court as well as the development of nonviolent protests and the transformation of Dr. Martin Luther King  Jr. into the movements preeminent leader. 1950 The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the segregation of African Americans in graduate and law schools. The initial case was fought by Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Marshall used this win to begin building a strategy to fight the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine established in 1896.   1951 Linda Brown, an 8-year-old girl in Topeka, Kan., lives within walking distance of a whites-only elementary school. Because of segregation, she has to travel by bus to a more distant school for African American children. Her father sues the school board of Topeka, and the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear the case. 1953 The Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, Tenn., which runs workshops on organizing protests for individuals such as union organizers, issues invitations to civil rights workers. 1954 The Supreme Court decides Brown v. Board of Education on May 17, arguing that separate but equal schools are inherently unequal. The decision legally prohibits school segregation, declaring it unconstitutional. 1955 Rosa Parks attends a workshop for civil rights organizers at the Highlander Folk School in July.On Aug. 28, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American boy from Chicago, is killed near Money, Miss., for allegedly whistling at a white woman.In November, the Federal Interstate Commerce Commission forbids segregation on interstate buses and trains.On Dec. 1, Rosa Parks refuses to give her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Ala., sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott.On Dec. 5, the Montgomery Improvement Association is established by a group of local Baptist ministers. The organization elects the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.,  pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, president. In this role, King would lead the boycott. 1956 In January and February, whites angry about the Montgomery Bus Boycott bomb four African American churches and the homes of civil rights leaders King, Ralph Abernathy, and E.D. Nixon.On court order, the University of Alabama admits its first African American student, Autherine Lucy, but finds legal ways to prevent her attendance.On Nov. 13, the Supreme Court upholds an Alabama district court ruling in favor of the Montgomery bus boycotters.The Montgomery Bus Boycott ends in December, having successfully integrated Montgomerys buses. 1957 King, along with Ralph Abernathy and other Baptist ministers, helps found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in January. The organization serves to fight for civil rights, and King is elected its first president.The governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus, obstructs the integration of Little Rock High School, using the National Guard to block the entry of nine students. President Eisenhower orders federal troops to integrate the school.Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which creates the Civil Rights Commission and authorizes the Justice Department to investigate cases of African Americans being denied voting rights in the South. 1958 The Supreme Court decision Cooper v. Aaron rules that a threat of mob violence is not reason enough to delay school desegregation. 1959 Martin Luther King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, visit India, the homeland of Mahatma Gandhi, who won independence for India through nonviolent tactics. King discusses the philosophy of nonviolence with Gandhis followers. Updated by Femi Lewis.