United States Land and Property

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Introduction


The availability of land attracted many immigrants to America and encouraged westward expansion. Land ownership was generally recorded in an area as soon as settlers began to arrive. These important records sometimes exist when few other records are available.

Land records are primarily used to learn where an individual lived and when he lived there. They often reveal other family information, such as the name of a spouse, heir, other relatives, or neighbors. You may learn where a person lived previously, his occupation, if he had served in the military, if he was a naturalized citizen, and other clues for further research.

Getting started with United States Land and Property research

 * Getting started
 * What's the next step?
 * Finding your ancestor in the records
 * Tips for beginners

Did you know?

 * "Property" refers to more than land. Records of slaves, livestock brands, stray animals, indentures, and loans can be found in records kept by many towns and counties.
 * The person who obtains title to land from the government receives a land grant. Subsequent exchanges of land are person-to-person exchanges involving deeds.

The Land Acquisition Process and Types of Land
In the United States, land is acquired in basically one of two ways; from the government or from an individual. The first sale of land from the government to a person is called a grant. Thereafter, the sale of that land from a person is called a deed.

States
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Federal Land States

 * Alabama
 * Alaska
 * Arizona
 * Arkansas
 * California
 * Colorado
 * District of Columbia
 * Florida
 * Idaho
 * Illinois
 * Indiana
 * Iowa
 * Kansas
 * Louisiana
 * Michigan
 * Minnesota
 * Mississippi
 * Missouri
 * Montana
 * Nebraska
 * Nevada
 * New Mexico
 * North Dakota
 * Ohio
 * Oklahoma
 * Oregon
 * South Dakota
 * Utah
 * Washington
 * Wisconsin
 * Wyoming


 * valign="top" align="left" | [[Image:Federal vs. State Land States.png|center|275px]] Federal land states (blue) &amp; state land states (brown)

State Land States

 * Connecticut
 * Delaware
 * Georgia
 * Hawaii
 * Kentucky
 * Maine
 * Maryland
 * Massachusetts
 * New Hamsphire
 * New Jersey
 * New York
 * North Carolina
 * Pennsylvania
 * Rhode Island
 * South Carolina
 * Tennessee
 * Texas
 * Vermont
 * Virginia
 * West Virginia


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 * United States [[Image:United States flag.png|40x21px]]
 * United States [[Image:United States flag.png|40x21px]]
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Research Tools
Patent search: www.glorecords.blm.gov Research strategies: Family History 101 Search records: Footnote.com ($) Ancestry.com ($)

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