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October 24, 2004
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Beginning Your Genealogical Research Genealogical researcher at NARA

Introduction

Talk to your relatives. Begin your family history research by finding out as much information as you can from living family members:
  • Names of ancestors, their spouses, and their siblings
  • Dates of birth, marriage, death, and divorce
  • The places (town, county, state or province, and country) where these events occurred
Borrow books from your public library on genealogical research. These will tell you what records are available, where they can be found, and describe the research process. This is an extremely important step in your research! These are a few of the many "how to" books which have been published:
  • Crandall, Ralph J. Shaking Your Family Tree. Dublin, NH: Yankee Publishing, 1986.

  • Croom, Emily A. Unpuzzling Your Past: A Basic Guide to Genealogy. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books, 1995.

  • Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1990.

  • Jacobus, Donald Lines. Genealogy as a Pastime and Profession. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1968. Reprint, 1991.

  • Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997.

  • Rubincam, Milton. Pitfalls in Genealogical Research. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, 1987.

  • Stryker-Rodda, Harriet. How to Climb Your Family Tree. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1977. Reprint, 1993.

  • Szucs, Loretto D., and Sandra H. Luebking. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Revised edition. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, 1997.
Join genealogical societies: The National Genealogical Society, the state genealogical society in the state where you live and the state(s) where your ancestors lived, and the county genealogical society in the county where you live and the counties where your ancestors lived. Membership usually costs relatively little ($5-$50) but you get a lot in return. Most societies publish newsletters and other publications that will provide you with information about genealogical research in the area, often including transcripts of actual records. You can find the names and addresses of genealogical societies in Elizabeth Petty Bentley, The Genealogist's Address Book, 4th edition (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1999) as well as on the internet. Bentley's book can be found in many public libraries.

Solving Difficult Research Problems

Eventually, every genealogical researcher will "hit a brick wall" or have a knotty problem to solve. You can learn much by reading how other people have solved such problems. The articles listed below show you how others solved their research problems.

From the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 83, No. 1 (March 1995), see:
  • Thomas W. Jones, "The Children of Calvin Snell: Primary versus Secondary Evidence."

  • Joy Reisinger, "Is Mother Genevieve a Greslon or a Fontaine?"

From the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 151, Whole No. 603 (July 1997), see:
  • Vernon D. Turner, "Lydia Gaymer, the Wife of Humphrey Turner of Scituate."

  • Steven E. Sullivan, "Joanna (Adams) Lunt Identified."

From the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 128, No. 2 (April 1997), see:
  • Harry Macy Jr., "The Van Wicklen/Van Wickle Family: Including its Frisian Origin and Connections to Minnerly and Kranckheyt."

  • Cynthia B. Biasca, "Jacques Hertel and the Indian Princesses."

  • Frederick C. Hart Jr., "A Proposed Family for Thomas Jones of Fairfield, Connecticut, and Huntington, Long Island."

The NGS Quarterly, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, and the NYG&B; Record can be found in libraries with a large genealogical collection, or you may be able to purchase back issues from the societies that published them.

Records Available from NARA

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has many records that are useful for genealogical research, such as the Federal population censuses, 1790-1930; military service and pension records, ca. 1776-1900; immigration records, 1820-1957; and naturalization records.

Begin with Census Records

You may wish to begin your research in census records, which are available for 1790-1930. Begin with the 1930 census and work your way backwards. Census records are basic building blocks for your genealogical research; they will provide names of family members, ages, state or country of birth, occupation, and other useful information.

Due to staffing limitations, we cannot do census research. However, you can get access to census records:

Other Useful Federal Records

For information on other microfilmed Federal records in the custody of NARA that are useful for genealogical research, consult:
  • Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 2001. Available for purchase, or search online.

  • American Indians: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995. Available online or for purchase.

  • Black Studies: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1996. Available online or for purchase.

  • Diplomatic Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1986. Available online or for purchase.

  • Genealogical & Biographical Research: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1983). Available online.

  • Federal Court Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1987. Available online.

  • Immigrant & Passenger Arrivals: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1991. Available online or for purchase.

  • Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985. Available online or for purchase.
For information on other Federal records, both microfilmed and unfilmed, in the custody of NARA that are useful for genealogical research, consult:
  • Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 3d edition, 2001. Available for purchase.

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