One thing we should be proud of in New York state is our history. And, because of technology, it has never been easier to learn about our past. With the advent of online archives and searchable databases, what once required a trip to the local court house or hours sifting through library archives has, in many cases, been replaced with simple keystrokes. However, knowing what to search or where to start can still be a challenge.

One resource that can help and is available to the public for free is www.archives.nysed.gov. The New York State Archives maintains a digital collection site which provides access to millions of photographs, artifacts, government documents, manuscripts, and other materials — some of which are more than 350 years old. Most of these items come from the New York State Archives, but the online collection also includes material from the New York State Museum, State Library, and project partners across the state. The website is overseen by the New York State Education Department, with support from the New York State Archives Partnership Trust.

Some archives feature old maps and surveys. Some are pictures of past farm operations and old ledgers and others feature flyers or advertisements from days gone by. Each archive is specifically sourced and includes the date (if known), the collection from which it was preserved, and additional information to provide more context for the reader.

One archive preserved an essay written by a young student in 1918 who was assisting in the war effort by working on a farm in Central Square. According to the site, in 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 to sign up and become farm cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a farm cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military. From April to September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote essays about their experience. The essay archived is the cadet’s final report. 

All archives can be downloaded or shared directly from the site on social media. They can also be expanded in size so the images can be easily seen in full screen. For educators, there are short tutorials on how to incorporate primary sources and other historic sources into classroom instruction. A video features an archivist at the New York State Archives and a county clerk providing research tips on searching county records and describing all that is housed at a county clerk’s office. You can see it at: www.archives.nysed.gov/education/video/finding-records-county-clerk. The site also offers information on how the archives can be tied to curriculum for each grade level.

Additionally, you’ll find extensive resources for those interested in genealogy at http://www.archives.nysed.gov/research/featured-topic-genealogy. While records were not archived for the purpose of genealogical research, many archives are helpful to genealogy research because they include naturalization papers, land records, census information, birth, marriage, and death certificates. In addition, the state has made a subscription to ancestry.com available for free to New York State residents. Images and archives of interest can be stored online through the service. In recent years, the state has added more records to the searchable databases on ancestry.com including New York Civil War enlistments, 1861-1900; New York town clerks’ registers of men who served in the Civil War; New York marriages 1600-1784; and New York military equipment claims, War of 1812.

Those interested in creating their own account on New York ancestry.com should visit http://www.archives.nysed.gov/research/how-to-video-ancestry for directions for the free subscription.         

William (Will) A. Barclay is the Republican representative of the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact him at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us or (315) 598-5185.

The results of [the recent mid-term] election are in — Americans delivered a split decision on the makeup of the next Congress. In the House, Democrats won control from the Republicans and now hold the majority. In the Senate, Republicans maintained power and even [likely] added [two] seats to their majority. This means that we’ll be operating under divided government for the next two years. But it doesn’t mean that nothing will get done.

Throughout our history, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has worked with all types of majorities to advance a pro-growth policy agenda. We’ve notched wins with Congress under Republican control, under Democrat control, and everything in between.

Even in today’s hyper-partisan environment, there are still areas where consensus exists in the middle. And we’re calling on our new and reelected leaders from both parties to claim that middle ground and reject the extremes on both sides. We will work with Democrats and Republicans to focus on the art of the possible — those issues that are most likely to attract bipartisan support and the president’s signature.

Here are two examples of priorities that are ripe for progress.

First, infrastructure. Members on both sides of the aisle have long agreed on the need to modernize the physical platform of our economy. They’ll have to make some trade-offs, but there is a real chance to finally do it. Republicans are going to have to accept that we need more revenue from dedicated user fees. Democrats are going to have to accept that private investment must be a big part of the solution. Both sides should look at this as an investment in our nation’s long-term competitiveness and future prosperity.

Second, immigration, which can help address our nation’s worker shortage. Employers must be able to hire the workers they need at every skill level — when and where they need them. So we must fix America’s broken immigration system. If lawmakers find the middle ground, work through the tough issues, and finally address this long-simmering challenge, they will help solve the people gap in our country and reaffirm our legacy of welcoming the world’s best talent and hardest workers.

We’ll also push our leaders to strengthen the U.S. workforce, adopt smart trade policies, advance energy, and support other pro-growth priorities. We’ll fight against efforts to roll back important policy gains from the previous two years, including tax reform and regulatory relief. Unraveling those policies would undermine our economy.

The bottom line is that while the composition of Congress may change, our objectives never do. We’re focused on working with both political parties to push for policies that grow the American economy, create good jobs, and advance free enterprise.      

Thomas J. Donohue is president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.