Available now LA Researching family history
Family research experts advise a six step approach to researching family history.
First, recall and record as much information as you can about your family using charts and tables. Second, use sources in your home like birth, death and marriage certificates, family bibles and other papers. Third, ask relatives to help.
Next, choose a particular family ancestor you want to learn more about. Check to see if someone else has already found the information. Then, go research archives and record books.
A vast amount of advice, and form documents, can be found at the non profit "Family Search" site:
So many people or their ancestors passed through Ellis Island. And so much information, like passenger details, ship names and arrival dates can be obtained easily from your desk top computer:
Interested in military records - enlistment information, awards and decorations? Prisoners of war? Japanese civilians interred during WWII? Arrivals in New York during the Irish famine? The US National Archives is a treasure trove of information, much of it on line:
The US census is taken every decade. You can search census records for each decade from 1790 to 1930 - on line and for free - at Ancestry.com:
The Federal governments social security death index can be helpful in tracking down deceased relatives. You can search it for free at Roots Web:
If connecting to the greater human family through long term genetic ancestry is more your thing then DNA testing through the World Family Network may be the answer: