California/Bay Area

Native Americans have lived in the San Francisco Bay area for over 10,000 years. Rather than a single nation, they lived in many independent tribes and spoke different languages. The various tribes are generally referred to as one group called the Ohlone or Costanoan. In 1776, Spain expanded their territory north of Mexico and established military garrisons (Presidios), Franciscan missions (Missions), and civil settlements (Pueblos). In 1821, Mexico was declared an independent state. In 1846, the United States took possession of Northern California during the Mexican-American war and established a military territory. California was admitted to the United States on 9 September 1850.

Archives
Biographies
Birth Certificates (Vitals)
Births (Vitals)
Books (online)
Books (offline)
Business (see individual counties)
Cemeteries (see individual counties)
Census
Churches (see individual counties)
City and Towns (see individual counties)
City Directories (see individual counties)
Clubs (see individual counties)
Coroner (see individual counties)
County Codes
County offices (see individual counties)
Courts (Government)
Databases (online)
Death Certificates (Vitals)
Deaths (Vitals)
Directories
Divorce Records (Vitals)
Divorces (Vitals)
Ethnic
FamilySearch (LDS)
Fire Department (see individual counties)
Fraternal Organizations (Clubs)

Funeral Homes (see individual counties)
Genealogy Organizations
Government (database)
Government (County) (see individual counties)
Government (State)
Great Registers (see individual counties)
History Organizations
Hospitals (see individual counties)
Hotel Guests (see individual counties)
Immigration
Land
Libraries
Lookup Help
Maps
Maritime
Marriage Certificates (Vitals)
Marriages (Vitals)
Medical Examiner (see individual counties)
Medical Records (see individual counties)
Military Records
Miscellaneous
Mortuaries (see individual counties)
Museums
Naturalization
Newspapers
L NorCal Genealogy
Obituary (Vitals)

Orphans
Passenger Lists (Transportation)
Phone Directories
Pioneers
Place Names (see individual counties)
Police Department (see individual counties)
Post Office (Government)
Prisons
Probate (see individual counties)
Property (Land)
Real Estate (Land)
Religious Organizations (see individual counties)
Religious Records (see individual counties)
Research Resources
Research Tools
Schools
Ship Passenger Lists (Transportation)
Social Directories (see individual counties)
Social Organizations (see individual counties)
Societies (see individual counties)
Taxes
Telephone Books
Transportation
Vitals
Voting Registers (Great Registers)
Wagon Passenger Lists (Transportation)
Wills (Vitals)