The Pennsylvania State Archives has made thousands of family history records available online at Ancestry.com. Residents of Pennsylvania will be glad to know they have been granted free access to these files:
Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012 Pennsylvania, Births, 1852-1854 Pennsylvania, Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952 Pennsylvania, Oyer and Terminer Court Papers, 1757-1787 Pennsylvania, Spanish War Compensation, 1898-1934 Pennsylvania, Naturalization Records from Supreme and District Courts, 1794-1908 Pennsylvania, War of 1812 Pensions, 1866-1879 Pennsylvania, Land Warrants, 1733-1987 Pennsylvania, Civil War Border Claims, 1868-1879 Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1854 Pennsylvania, Deaths, 1852-1854 Pennsylvania, Records of Marriages, 1885-1889 Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801 Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 Pennsylvania, WPA Church Archives, 1937-1940 Pennsylvania, Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966 Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1964 Pennsylvania, Civil War Muster Rolls, 1860-1869 Pennsylvania, Birth Records, 1906-1910 Pennsylvania, WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948 Pennsylvania, Prison, Reformatory, and Workhouse Records, 1829-1971 Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1845-1963
Here's how to access the collection free of charge:
First, if you have an account with Ancestry.com, log in to your account. A paid subscription to Ancestry is not required but logging in first will make the next step easier.
In another tab or window, click this link to enter Ancestry's site through the State Archives:
In the page that opens, scroll to the bottom and enter your Pennsylvania zip code. After typing in the zip code, Do NOT press Enter on your keyboard. Simply click the link: "Go to Pennsylvania State Archives records at Ancestry.com".
You will arrive at a search form, where you can enter the criteria of your search. If you aren't already logged into Ancestry.com, you will be prompted to create an account when you try to access a document. Once your logged in, you may browse or search the collection.