Ancestry is offering free access to its entire US census record collection of more than 713 million U.S. Census records, spanning from 1790-1940. The free access runs through the Labor Day holiday weekend, ending at midnight on September 3rd.It seems the reason for this generosity is to promote the new Ancestry Time Machine experience, which allows users to virtually travel back to the 1940s with the click of a mouse.
Ancestry describes the process: After answering a few multiple choice questions and uploading a photograph, the viewer will be presented with a video profile of their life as it would have been in the 1940s based on gender, location, profession and personal interests. The Time Machine is an experiential way to explore US history, allowing the user to visualize living as their family members may have more than 70 years ago. Users can also share their Ancestry Time Machine experience with friends and family through their social networks.
Researchers can view Ancestry.com’s US Census Collection, or become a time traveller here.