Introduction to Genealogy

INTRODUCTION Genealogists have created many Internet sites, publications, and other research tools which are also of use to biographers, social historians, military historians, and others.  Probate, military, census, immigration, and land records are among the many kinds of materials most familiar to genealogists.  Many sources can be accessed only by visiting a location, or arranging for a local researcher, but the Internet makes it easy to find out the kinds of materials available before a trip is planned, make contact with others working on the same family lines, discover sources more easily, and, in some cases, obtain detailed genealogical information by the Internet or by mail.  Religious and fraternal organizations, and many other groups, often have materials of value; some of these may be located in Cyndi’s List and RootsWeb below, or by using search engines and published  reference works.  The single most useful reference work is  The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, published by Ancestry.com (see below) and available at most public libraries.

Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
http://www.cyndislist.com/

Cyndi Howells’s website is the best known and most comprehensive site with 100,000 or more links to states, counties, provinces, nations, military sites, ethnic sites and other sites too numerous to note.  The United States site is at: http://www.cyndislist.com/genusa.htm    Browse through Cyndi’s List slowly over several days.  There is a great deal more here worth exploring.  The site is also available in book form.

Rootsweb is the oldest and largest genealogy site.  One of its best known features is the Rootsweb Surname List or "RSL" which is a sort of international bulletin board where one can connect with others pursuing the same surnames ( http://rsl.rootsweb.com/ ). Also note the list of resources for each state ( http://www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/usa.html#Statelist  ).   Rootsweb deserves several hours or days of exploring, a good place for beginners to start is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/     Rootsweb also has free e-mail newsletters which provide information on new sites and on problems or experiences encountered by others.

The US GenWeb Project, manned by volunteers, is one of the most useful sites for quickly accessing states and counties.  The site provides a map from which one can access states ( http://www.usgenweb.org/statelinks.html ).  Click on the state and then the county desired.  Also note other projects and links.

Ancestry.com, a publisher of genealogy books,  is also a highly popular low-cost subscription library of genealogical databases.  Free sites include several noted columnists, genealogy lessons, and the SSDI or Social Security Death Index which lists millions of deceased and provides instructions on gaining additional information.  There are thousands of other sites available to subscribers which are invaluable, including on-screen original pages of most federal censuses, and the genealogy periodical index of the Allen County Public Library of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, which includes over a million articles.  Ancestry has a free daily newsletter which notes new sites, links, and other useful information, and is also a publisher of several basic books and magazines for genealogists.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints maintains the world’s largest family history library; information from these holdings continue to be added to this website.  The IGI (International Genealogical Index) is one of the most commonly used sites.  Local Family History Centers, commonly operated by volunteers in many Mormon Churches, can provide additional information and arrange for the borrowing of microfilm.  Church records from overseas and local government records are among the many holdings that may accessed online or, in some cases, only by visiting a local center.  As with all sites, information provided should be verified by other sources.  PAF (Personal Ancestral File), a widely-used free genealogy software program, may be downloaded free; numerous databases on CD-ROM are also available at minimal cost.  Freedman’s Bank Records, a major African-American database, and the 1880 United States Census are among the more important low-cost sources available on CD-ROM.   This unique website has numerous avenues which should be explored over many days.

More than 22 million entered the United States through Ellis Island from 1892 to 1924.   The ships’ manifest records ordinarily include their given name and surname , ethnicity, last place of residence, name of ship and departure port, arrival date and age, gender,  and marital status, along with the location of their name on the manifest.  There are numerous other web sites that provide background on the Ellis Island experience, including Ancestry.com and RootsWeb.com. This is a new website which plans to add additional information in the future. Interest has been high – try again later if you are unable to access it or try this alternative site –    http://sites.netscape.net/stephenpmorse/ellis.html .   If you are searching for passenger records before 1892 go to the Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild which is compiling a list of earlier ship passengers (http://istg.rootsweb.com/ ).

Most states have a state historical society and a state archives.  The historical society will probably include microfilm copies of newspapers and census records, private papers donated to the society, early state and local histories, and other publications relating to the region.  A state archives is ordinarily the custodian of official state government papers, such as those of the governor or adjutant general.  In some states the state archives and state historical society are a single institution, usually in the state capital.  Elsewhere they are separate organizations and may even be in different cities.  Newspapers or other materials may also be in a state library or a state historical library in certain states.  The Ohio Historical Society provides links to most state historical societies and archives; other state societies, archives and libraries may be located at Cyndi’s List or RootsWeb sites above.  State archives may also be found at:  http://aagsnc.org/library/archives.html or at  http://ils.unc.edu/archives/archive7.html

NARA is one of the most "user-friendly" sites provided by the federal government. Census schedules, immigration and naturalization records, ship passenger records, military and military pension records, and American Indian records are among the sources most commonly used by genealogists. Many of the microfilmed materials, including the census schedules and military pension indexes are also in the 13 regional branches of NARA. (the branches may also be accessed from this site). This site provides information on the holdings in each regional branch and how one may receive copies of materials or additional information. Among the useful links from this site are Clues in Census Records, 1850-1920 ( http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/cenclues.html ) and "The Soundex Machine" ( http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/soundex/soundex.html ). Soundex is a system originally developed in the 1930s for Social Security applicants who were born before birth certificates were common and who needed to prove their date of birth. It provides a code which takes into account different spellings, and acts as an index to most Census Schedules since 1880.

Another Soundex converter which allows you to list several soundex numbers at once is http://www.bradandkathy.com/genealogy/yasc.html

ADDITIONAL SITES

Public Libraries
http://www.publiclibraries.com/

Local public libraries often have genealogical holdings for their communities; large metropolitan libraries usually have extensive holdings.  Public libraries or local historical and genealogical societies generally have basic reference works, as well as such local resources as community histories, church records, obituaries, city directories, and compilations of area cemetery, birth, marriage, and death records. If a public library cannot be found here, use a search engine, such as www.dogpile.com, to find local communities and libraries.  For state libraries go to http://www.publiclibraries.com/state_library.htm

This site contains links to all known databases on the Web.  Family sites are included only if a database is available for searching.  An index contains a list of most, but not all, of those on the site.

U.S. Surname Distribution
http://www.hamrick.com/names/index.html

The 1850, 1880, and 1920 U.S. Census, and 1990's phone books are used to show the distribution of surnames by states at these four different times. Use the arrow next to the "Display" button and go to "All Periods" for quick comparisons. Hamrick software also has programs to facilitate the use of photographs in compiling a genealogy.

The National Park Service, in conjunction with the National Archives and Records Administration, the Genealogical Society of Utah (LDS Church), the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and numerous other military and genealogy organizations, is developing a computerized database of all soldiers and sailors of the Civil War, both Union and Confederate.  The website is also available at numerous military cemeteries.  Individuals not yet listed here may be located at state or local websites – check county historical and genealogical sites, as well as state archives and historical societies.  Also indexes to pension files are available through the National Archives branches and other locations with the use of  Soundex. These  may also be located at Ancestry.com (fee based).

The National Archives has a list, by state, of casualties of the Korean War ( http://www.nara.gov/nara/electronic/kcashr.html ) and of the Vietnam War ( http://www.nara.gov/nara/electronic/vcasal.html ).

This provides information and links to most other sites which deal African-American genealogy. Also see the African-American page on Cyndi's List ( http://www.CyndisList.com/african.htm ).

Scroll down past the Cherokee sites to other Native American genealogy sites, and to other sites useful to historians. Also see Cyndi's List ( http://www.CyndisList.com/native.htm ).

This site titled "INS, Genealogy, and Education" contains considerable information on immigration history and laws, much of it designed for classroom use.  For INS forms and fees go to http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/index.htm .

Modern State and Territory sites for gaining birth, marriage, divorce, and death records are available here.  Some earlier records are available at local, rather than centralized state offices  – some of the earlier records are available online – go to  "Related Links" provided for each State or Territory for many additional useful sites.

This unusual site provides many memoirs and life stories of slaves, veterans, pioneers, and others in earlier periods.   It includes information for students and teachers who wish to use oral history and other techniques to understand and preserve earlier family experiences.

The British Public Record Office provides information and links for those researching families from the British Isles. Go to "Resources for Genealogists" to access numerous other links. See Cyndi's page, above, for additional United Kingdom links and for other parts of the world.

Personal and service details of the 1.7 million soldiers of the British Commonwealth who died in World War I or World War II. Also includes civilian casualties and other information.

A basic Web site for Central and Eastern European countries, including Switzerland and Germany, as well as much of Eastern Europe. Indexes connect with related Web sites from all parts of the world.

JewishGen is the primary Internet source for all those engaged in Jewish genealogy. It connects with numerous databases, including JewishGen Family Finder which connects people searching the same ancestral towns and surnames. For locating Holocaust survivors see Missing Identity ( http://www.jewishgen.org/missing-identity/ ).

Matthew L. Helm's site is one of the oldest and best known sites for a wide variety of information and links. There is  information on genealogy software and other topics.

An organization for those with horse-thieves or other scoundrels among their ancestors, the site has many interesting stories and useful links.

Broderbund's Family Tree Maker has one of the largest software programs for genealogists. It also provides much free information on its Website.

This is a site of great practical use to historians and genealogists. A calendar for any month of any year desired, along with information on calendar changes, Mayan and Chinese calendars, and much more are provided here.  For a more simple calendar of any month and year go to http://alabanza.com/kabacoff/Inter-Links/cgi/cal.cgi

This US Geological Survey Query Form is useful for locating obscure population places, cemeteries and other sites in the United States for those doing genealogical research. In most cases one is able to gain the coordinates and also maps indicating the locations. Many Canadian sites may be located at http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/english/cgndb.html .  Also for Canada see http://atlas.gc.ca/english/index.html .   Maps for other places in the World are available at http://uk2.multimap.com/ .  Also see http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/gbhgis/ and http://www.streetmap.co.uk/ for British locations.