Genealogy
Links for how to do genealogical research, genealogy resources around the world, and databases of family trees.
Contents:
- How-to/Research Information
- Other Helpful Genealogy Sites
- Resources & Searchable Databases
- Vital Records
- Ethnic Heritage
For information on how to do genealogical research at the National Archives, please see the Genealogy section of the NARA web site.
See also the Genealogical CD-ROMs bibliography for a list of CD-ROMs available for research in the Archives I Library in Washington, DC.
How to do Genealogical Research: NARA and Other Federal Web sites- The 1930 Census
- NARA's comprehensive guide to the recently opened 1930 Census.
- Procedures for Viewing the 1930 Census
- NARA's instructions for viewing the 1930 census records are explained here.
- Calendar of Events
- See the calendar for scheduled genealogy workshops in Washington DC.
- Missouri's Union Provost Marshal Papers, 1861-1866
- The Provost Marshal Papers for the state of Missouri are part of Record Group 109, War Department Collection of Confederate Records in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Although they are records of the Union Army, they were associated with Confederate records in the War Department because they relate, in part, to Confederate citizens and sympathizers. The National Archives refers to this collection as Union Provost Marshals' File of Papers Relating to Individual Citizens. This national collection is three hundred rolls of microfilm documents, 1861-1866. The online database created by the Missouri State Archives is an index of the Missouri portion of the collection.
- The Genealogy Page
- Finding aids, guides, and research tools to prepare for genealogical research at NARA are found on this site.
- National Archives Publishes Revised Guide to Genealogical Research
- NARA's third edition of the popular Guide to Genealogical Research is now available.
- An Overview of Records at the National Archives Relating to Military Service
- This Fall 2002 Prologue article was written by Trevor Plante and gives information on how to find an ancestor's military service records.
- Other Federal Web sites
- Other federal web sites providing useful information in genealogical research are listed here.
- Ancestors
- Originally a PBS series designed to inspire and inform beginning genealogists, this site provides information on how to conduct research and links to useful family history resources on the web.
- Ellis Island Immigration Museum
- This site is devoted to the Museum that was set up at this famous immigration port. While Ellis Island does not house immigration records, there is some information on where to look for ancestors' records.
- Genealogy.com
- Offers tips on starting genealogical research, web links, and a 470 million-name searchable database.
- Genealogy
- Links to genealogy research tools, guidance, and web sites.
- Genealogy Today
- This site provides news, links, and tools for genealogists.
- Immigration History Research Center
- Located at the University of Minnesota, the IHRC offers resources focusing on eastern, central, and southern European and Near Eastern ethnic groups.
- Local History and Genealogy Reading Room
- This Library of Congress (LC) site offers information on conducting genealogical research at the LC.
- NameTraq
- NameTraq tracks surnames in the news. It searches more than 1600 news sources and includes more than 25,000 of the most common last names in the United States. Updated bimonthly.
- National Genealogical Society
- This web site for a national genealogical association provides "How to get started" guidance and a virtual library.
- National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
- Provides resources for genealogists including an online catalog.
- New England Historic Genealogical Society
- Located in Boston, the Society provides information on events, tours, and research. The Library is a valuable resource with many useful guides.
- Pathfinder: Genealogy
- This guide is designed to help people get started on researching their genealogy.
- State Archives
- Contact information for state archives and historical societies
- Across the Generations: Exploring U.S. History through Family Papers
- Family papers contain a wealth of useful genealogical information, as well as providing a window onto evolving social conditions, on-going economic change, new political trends, and cultural shifts over time. This web exhibit was produced by the Sophia Smith Collection and the Bodman Family Foundation.
- AncestralFindings.com
- Search vital records, family surnames, and learn more about genealogical research methods.
- Ancestry Library
- Ancestry Library is a subscription database available free-of-charge from any NARA location nationwide. It offers searchable ancestor databases of over 600 million names, as well as specialized databases, including census images. Ancestry.com is available to individual researchers by subscription.
- Brooklyn Daily Eagle Online, 1841-1902
- This web site, which is a collaboration between the Brooklyn Public Library and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, makes over 70 years of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle available to the web-browsing public. Searchable by keyword, date, and content type, this archive includes an introduction to the paper's history as well as a time line of important changes to the paper.
- Colonial Connecticut Records, 1636-1776
- Sponsored by the University of Connecticut Libraries, this site offers the Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, 1636-1776, searchable and indexed.
- Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
- Provides links to 200,000 online genealogy web sites.
- Ellis Island Database One-Step Search Tools
- This site presents an overview of search forms to use, and assists searches of the Ellis Island immigration databases.
- FamilySearch
- This genealogical resource from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints hosts 300 million names in two indexes, searchable by ancestor name, keyword, or custom search. The providers have not publicly stated whether this site will offer access to the entirety of their 2 billion name genealogical record repository.
- FamilyTree Maker.com
- Provides a 470 million name database as well as community message boards, genealogy help, how-to articles, and bibliography.
- Federal Township Plats of Illinois, 1804-1891
- The passage of the Land Ordinance of 1785 created the rectangular survey system for the mapping and subsequent sale of the western public lands of the United States. In 1803, the first survey of lands began, which would later become the state of Illinois.
- Digital Librarian: Genealogy Resources
- From the Digital Librarian, an extensive alphabetical list of genealogy resources available on the Web. Some entries are annotated.
- Open Directory Project: Genealogy
- This site indexes over 7,600 genealogy sites on the Internet. They are categorized by subject and geographic region. Links to foreign-language sites are also included.
- Genealogy articles from Prologue
- Articles from NARA's Prologue grouped by topic.
- GenealogyToolbox.com
- Resources on this site include a list of over 70,000 links to genealogical resources on the Internet, news and articles on family history research, a guide to genealogical software, and a site to register your genealogical home page.
- GeneaSearch.com
- Includes a searchable database, family newsletters, books from societies and individuals, queries, announcement of new sites, and information for beginning researchers.
- Illinois Veterans Databases
- From the Illinois State Archives, these databases cover all veterans from Illinois who participated in America's wars from the War of 1812 to the Spanish-American War. Included on this site is the Database of the 1929 Illinois Roll of Honor, which is a list of burial places of military veterans buried in Illinois as of 1929.
- INS History, Genealogy and Education
- This site, maintained by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) gives information about the Immigration and Naturalization (I&N) Historical Reference Library collection and services.
- Local History & Genealogy Reading Room
- The Library of Congress provides several guides for genealogical research including Afro-American Genealogical Research and Sources for Research in Welsh Genealogy
- Maps: Alabama Historical Map Index
- This site is created and maintained by the Department of Geography, University of Alabama.
- Maryland State Archives Census Indexes
- Created and maintained by the Maryland state archives, this site allows searches of four different historical Maryland censuses.
- Notable Women Ancestors
- The majority of the pages located at this site have been contributed by descendants or relatives of the women.
- Port of New York, New York, 1820-1957
- Passenger lists and indexes for vessels arriving at the Port of New York from 1820-1957 are provided on this NARA web site.
- RootsWeb.com
- The free genealogy site offers a searchable name database as well as the Social Security Death Index.
- Search Systems
- Free searchable public records databases. City and county level databases include birth, death, marriage records.
- Source List for Genealogy Research
- Created and maintained by Don Dale at the University of Kansas, this site links to many vital Internet resources for those interested in genealogy.
- USGenWeb Project
- Volunteers around the country provide resources and transcribed records for genealogical research for about every county and state of the United States.
