Familiarizing oneself with the various types of genealogical records and documents, such as census records, vital records, military records, and immigration records.
Vital records: Birth, Marriage, and Death certificates that are crucial in tracing family lineage back multiple generations.
Census records: Population counts conducted every ten years by the government to track demographic trends and distribution.
Immigration records: Documents and records of passengers that entered and exited the country during an era.
Military records: Documents that contain information about the service members, including their branch of service, rank, and deployment records.
Land records: Records that show the history of a particular property, including ownership, mortgages, liens, and titles.
Estate records: Documents that arise out of the probate process, including wills, trusts, and other records related to the management of estates.
Court records: Documents generated by the court include criminal and civil cases, naturalization records, and immigration records.
Photographs: Primary sources that document family and personal history.
Diaries and letters: Personal narratives that provide insight into the lives of ancestors.
Family Bibles: Contain family data on births, marriages, and deaths that were entered over multiple generations.
Church records: Documents that specify the religious affiliation of an individual, including baptismal, confirmation, marriage and burial records.
Newspapers: Sources of local and regional news items that can contain valuable information about family members.
Census substitutes: Records that were used in place of missing census records, including voter registration lists, tax records, and historical city directories.
DNA testing: Testing that can confirm one's ancestral background.
Oral history: Interviewing the older generations of the family to gather important details about family members' personal experiences and stories.
Birth Records: Legal documents that record the birth of an individual, including their name, date and place of birth, and parents' names.
Death Records: Legal documents that record the death of an individual, including their name, date and place of death, and cause of death.
Marriage Records: Legal documents that record the marriage of individuals, including their names, ages, place of marriage, and names of witnesses.
Divorce Records: Legal documents that record the dissolution of a marriage, including the names of the parties involved, date and place of divorce, and reason for the divorce.
Census Records: Government documents that record information about individuals living in a particular area, including their name, age, occupation, and marital status.
Immigration Records: Documents that record the arrival of individuals in a new country, including the person's name, age, and nationality.
Military Records: Documents that record an individual's military service, including information about their rank, unit, and service history.
Property Records: Legal documents that record the ownership and transfer of real estate, including deeds and mortgages.
Probate Records: Legal documents that record the distribution of a person's estate after their death, including wills and probate inventories.
Church Records: Documents that record baptisms, marriages, burials, and other events in a church's history.
Cemetery Records: Documents that record burials in a cemetery, including the person's name, date of death, and location of burial.
Obituaries: Newspaper articles that record the death of an individual and provide information about their life.
Passenger Lists: Documents that record the names of passengers on a ship or airplane, including their age, nationality, and destination.
Naturalization Records: Legal documents that record an individual's citizenship status and the date they were granted citizenship.
Court Records: Documents that record court proceedings, including criminal and civil cases.