Have you reached a “brick wall” in your genealogy research? Onsite genealogy research in the United States may just be the key to extending your ancestry. We have genealogists in the United States who can help!
Challenges in U.S. Genealogy Research
Family history research in the United States can be an enormous undertaking, relying on a wide range of sources from birth and death certificates to censuses, land records, newspapers, and passenger lists. While vast numbers of historical records are now digitized and online, there are still numerous key sources which are held only in archives and other repositories which would require a Legacy Tree researcher to order for a fee or even to visit in person. These can include church records, military service files, naturalization paperwork, divorce records, and court documents, depending on the location and time period.
Research prior to 1850 can also be more difficult and slow-moving due to a lack of detailed records. Identifying ancestors of African heritage pre-Civil War is another challenge, though it is not always impossible. DNA testing is often a key tool.
If your ancestors were immigrants to the United States, success in discovering the immigrant hometown is more likely the more recently your ancestors arrived. Research is almost always necessary in U.S. records first so a foreign hometown can be identified before a line can be traced in the country of origin. This process can take some time.
Our Team of Professional Genealogists Can Help
Our professionals can help track down the town of origin of your ancestors, determine where that location is today, and identify where the records for that place are currently kept. For those areas that don’t have records available online or on microfilm, our onsite agents can visit that location to obtain any documents that are available.
Onsite Archive Access in the United States
Our onsite genealogy researchers have access to the following archives, repositories, and libraries in the United States to help track down the records you need to extend your family history:
- Library of Congress
- National Archives and Records Administration
- Civilian Personnel Records Center
- Electronic Records Archives
- National Personnel Records Center
- Military Personnel Records Center
- Smithsonian Institution Archives
- National Anthropological Archives
- Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and CollectionsArchives New Zealand
- Alabama Department of Archives and History
- California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives
- State Library and Archives of Florida
- Georgia Archives
- Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau
- Louisiana State Archive and Research Library
- Maryland State Archives
- New York State Archives
- Oregon State Archives
- Pennsylvania State Archives
- Tennessee State Library and Archives
- Texas State Library and Archives
- Washington State Digital Archives
- Wisconsin Historical Society
- American Heritage Center
- Archives of the History of American Psychology
- Atlanta Housing Archives
- California Green Archives
- Hoover Institution Library and Archives
- Interference Archive
- Internet Archive
- The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
- Lambda Archives of San Diego
- Mennonite Church USA Archives
- Marquette University Special Collections and University Archives
- National African American Archives and Museum
- National Security Archive
- New York City Municipal Archives
- Pullman Library, Illinois Railway Museum
- Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History at Smith College
- South Texas Archives and Special Collections
- Southern Historical Collection
- Ukrainian Museum-Archives
- Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
- Presidential libraries
