When conducting genealogical research, it is vital – and also extremely fun – to collect as many records as possible regarding the research subject in order to gain a fuller picture of the life of that individual. This applies to all types of records, such as birth and death certificates, censuses, obituaries, church records, and ship manifests, to name a few. First, Locating Digital Records In today’s digital world, information is often accessed through search engines that scan indexes. These … [Read more...]
U.S. Passport Applications: A Genealogy Gold Mine
When researching your ancestors, U.S. passport applications can be a goldmine for genealogical information! We have a wide variety of documents to search for information about our ancestors: birth, marriage, and death certificates come to mind, as well as baptismal records, census forms, obituaries, and naturalization documents. But another source is one that we don’t often consider: passport applications. If you have any ancestors or relatives who may have left the country at any point – even … [Read more...]
Know Your Special Census Schedules
Are you familiar with the U.S. Special Census schedules? We'll show you how to read between the lines to glean as much information as possible about your ancestors. The census is the backbone of American research. It is one of the first sources that new genealogists learn to use, and one of the most useful overall. Perhaps because of this ease of use and accessibility, sometimes researchers can have a tendency to overlook less obvious notations, or to speed through the record a little too … [Read more...]
Dealing with Shifting County Boundaries
Maps can be the very tool for breaking through your brick wall... or causing one. County boundaries that have changed over time can be overwhelmingly frustrating in your genealogy research. Here's a deeper look at understanding and dealing with shifting county boundaries. As anyone who has ever delved very deep into American research knows, the shifting boundaries of counties and even states can complicate research. You want to get right to the source, to know where to look for records of … [Read more...]
Primary Source Documents: Standing Where Your Ancestors Stood
Primary source documents are a gold mine for genealogists. Here's how one of these simple documents created a defining personal experience for one of our researchers! Primary source documents are the lifeblood of genealogy. Filled with cold, hard facts, these documents provide evidence that researchers use to collect, analyze, and then make conclusions. Personal identity, parental linkage, or biographical details are some of the possible conclusions drawn by genealogists from these … [Read more...]