http://www.doi.gov/bia/ancestry/genealog.html
Bureau of Indian Affairs
GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH
HOW TO BEGIN
Unless you are a king or a president or other notable, finding
your ancestors and making sure a "family tree" is kept for future
generations may be up to you. The federal government does not do
family research, nor does its National Archives collect or
preserve family trees. Books on family history and genealogy are
collected, complied, and published by private individuals who do
so because they are interested descendants.
As the depository of the federal government's records deemed of
permanent value for historical purposes, the National Archives
houses many records that can be helpful to persons who wish to
trace their ancestry. The search, however, cannot be completed
at the National Archives alone. Many other depositories should
be consulted. Following are suggestions about things to do and
ways to go about getting a start at finding your ancestors:
START WITH YOURSELF
You are the beginning "twig" on the vast family tree. Start with
yourself, the known, and work toward the unknown. You should
find out all the vital information you can about your parents,
write it down, then find out about your grandparents, great-
grandparents, etc.
NAMES, DATES, PLACES, RELATIONSHIPS
You will be concerned with pulling from the many and varied
documents of recorded history's four key items - "names, places,
dates, and relationships." These are the tools of the family
researcher. People can be identified in records by their names,
the dates of events in their lives (birth, marriage, death), the
places they lived, and the relationships to others either stated
or implied in the records.
HOME SOURCES
The first place to begin is at home. You can find much
information in family bibles, newspaper clippings, military
certificates, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses,
diaries, letters, scrapbooks, backs of pictures, baby books, etc.
RELATIVES AS SOURCE
Visit or write those in your family who may have information,
particularly older relatives. More often than not others before
you have gathered data about the families in which you are
interested. You should write a letter, make a personal visit, or
conduct a telephone survey to find out about such persons and
what information is already collected.
FINDING DISTANT RELATIVES
Before launching your research program in libraries and archives,
search for distant relatives who may have already performed
research. Advertise in the local genealogical bulletins (city,
county, or state) where your ancestors lived. The most widely
circulated genealogical magazine (which also specializes in
getting people together who are working on the same families) is
The Genealogical Helper, Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368,
Logan, UT 84321.
BIRTH, MARRIAGE, AND DEATH RECORDS
Some states began to keep records of birth and death earlier, but
for most of the United States, birth and death registration
because a requirement around the turn of the century, about 1890-
1915. Before that time these events will be found recorded
generally in church records and family bibles. Marriages will be
found recorded in most counties, dating often as early as the
establishment of the county.
CHURCH RECORDS
A few churches have records of important events in the lives of
members but many do not. Investigate the possibility of finding
genealogical data in the records of the church to which your
ancestor belonged.
DEEDS AND WILLS
Records of property acquisition and disposition can be good
sources of genealogical data. Such records are normally in the
county courthouses. Often the earliest county records or copies
of them are also available in state archives.
FEDERAL RECORDS
The National Archives in Washington, D.C., has records of use in
genealogical research. The federal census made every 10 years
since 1790 is a good source. The census records are also
available on microfilm in the National Archives' regional
branches located in 11 metropolitan areas throughout the country
(description leaflet available upon request). The National
Archives also has military service and related records, passenger
arrival records, and others. See the free leaflet, Genealogical
Records in the National Archives.
LIBRARIES, SOCIETIES, ARCHIVES
Visit the state, regional, local institutions in your area.
Libraries, historical and genealogical societies, and archival
depositories are all good sources for genealogical and family
history data.
HIRING A RESEARCHER
If you wish to hire a researcher, write to the following
organization that will provide you a list: Board for
Certification of Genealogists, P.O. Box 14291, Washington, D.C.,
20044.
- GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
- National Archives and Records Service
- Washington, D.C. 10408
- Rev. 4/19/96
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This document genealog.html was last modified on
Friday, 27-Feb-98 07:30:46 EST.