Family research can be an opportunity to learn about the history, geography, law, Medicine and customs of other times and places. Interesting, rewarding and a legacy to future Generations.

It is best to begin the story of your family with the current generation and work backwards. Instead of immediately visiting a genealogy library, gather as much information as you can from talking to other family members. You might want to use a tape recorder or video camera to record their reminiscences. Try to obtain copies of any records that family members possess. Write to all the relatives that you know requesting copies of Bible records, photographs, birth, baptismal, marriage and death certificates, offering to trade copies of what you find.

Organize your records and from the beginning, make careful notes of where you obtain each document. Write down any information you find out. Record the information as though you were writing for someone who knows nothing about your family. Fill out forms spelling the names in full. Begin to fill out pedigree charts and family group sheets for each family. Filling out family group sheets will help keep your information organized and show you how much you already know about your family. It will also show what information you still need to find out.

When you have collected all the information you can from family members, it is time to begin searching the public records that are available. A good place to start is the federal census. This state-by-state list of residents has been taken by the government every ten years since 1790. The federal government sometimes also took special censuses of veterans, slaves, and Native Americans living on reservations. In addition, individual states have taken censuses that can contain information that is different from the federal census.

Records that we take for granted today, such as birth and death certificates, are recent developments and access to them may be restricted. Many public records such as deeds, wills, marriage licenses, naturalization records, tax rolls, and vital statistics registers may be available only in the town or county where your ancestors resided.