Getting Started

1. Identify what you know about your family.

• Gather information about family members by using family Bibles, journals, letters, newspapers, obituaries and ask relatives.
  
• Write what you know about your ancestors on a pedigree chart. Start with yourself as # 1.
  
• Write "surname" in all caps.
  
• List the dates: i.e. (08 Mar 1895) instead of 3/8/1895.
  
• Write places in order: City/Township/County/State
  

2. Decide what you need to learn.

• Born?
  
• Place?
  
• Married?
  
• Place?
  
• Died?
  
• Place?
  

3. Select records to search.

• There are two types of genealogical records.
  
• Compiled Records: These records have already been researched by others, such as biographies, family histories.
  
• Original Records: Records that were created at or near the time of an event, such as; birth, marriage, death or census records.
  

4. Obtain & search record:

• Many local libraries have good genealogical materials, especially for the surrounding areas of the library's location. Check Family History Centers, they are an excellent place to obtain records.
  

• Look at a broad time period. Check for spelling variations, write down your results, document your source, even if you come up empty-handed (it will keep you from checking the same source again).
  

5. Use your information.

• Evaluate what you've found. Did you find the information that you were looking for? Is that information complete?
  
• Copy the information to family group sheets and pedigree charts.
  
• Organize the information. Use a system that works for you, i.e.: cards, notebooks, or computer.
• Share your information with interested family members.
  

Charts & forms:
http://www.pbs.org/kbyu/ancestors/charts
http://www.genealogy.com

Social Security Death Index:
http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/vital/ssdi/main.htm

Soundex Machine---United States Federal Census:
http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/soundex/soundex.html

Family name migration:
http://www.Hamrick.com/names

Abbreviations used:
http://www.kuhnslagoon.net/cybertree/howto/abbrev.html

Types of information gathered by each census:
http://www.kuhnslagoon.net/cybertree/howto/census.html

Native American Research How-to:
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/
http://members.aol.com/bbbenge/newlinks.html

African American Research How-to:
http://www.afrigeneas.com
http://www.cyndislist.com/african.htm
http://freedmensbureau.com

Chart for determining relationships:
http://www.cswnet.com/~sbooks/genealogy/cousins/cousins.htm

Civil War soldiers & sailors:
http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/

Alabama:

• Census Indexes: 1820-1870
• Slave Schedules: 1850 -1860
• Microfilm: 1830-1920 (1890 - limited information)
• Soundex: 1880, 1900-1910

Georgia:

• Census Indexes: 1820-1860
• Slave Schedules: 1850
• Microfilm: 1820-70, 1900-1901
• Soundex: 1900-1910

North Carolina:

• Census Indexes: 1800-1870
• Slave Schedules: 1850
• Microfilm: 1790-1830, 1890-limited information

South Carolina:

• Census Indexes: 1800-1870
• Slave Schedules: 1850
• Microfilm: 1790-1830, 1850-60, 1890-limited information

Virginia:

• Census Indexes: 1810-1850
• Slave Schedules: 1850
• Microfilm: 1790-1850

Alabama Records--A F325 .G22
Alabama Soldiers--A F325 .G23
Deep South Genealogical Quarterly--A folio F325 .D43
Everton's Genealogical Helper--Gen CS1 .G38
Mayflower Quarterly--Gen F68 .S64
Settlers of Northeast Alabama--A folio 325 .S4
Tap Roots--A F325 .T3 (Genealogical Society of East Alabama)
Valley Leaves--A folio F325 .V3

Books:

Cherokee By Blood--Gen E99 .C5 J63
Colonial Families of the United States--Gen CS61 .M22
County Courthouse Book--Gen KF8700 .A19 B46 1990
Ethnic Genealogy--Gen CS49 .E83 1983
Germans to America--Gen E184 .G3 G38 1988
Handy Book for Genealogists--Gen CS16 .E85 1981
Historical Southern Families--Gen CS69 .B58
Index to Revolutionary War Service Records--Gen E255 .W56 1995
North Carolina Troops--Gen E573.3 .M4
Owen's History of Alabama & Dictionary of Alabama Biography--A F326 .O9
Passenger & Immigration Lists Index--Gen CS68. P363
Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia, 1861-1865--Gen E559 .A5
Searching for Your Ancestors--Gen CS16.D6 1992
The Genealogists Address Book--Gen CS 44 .G55
The Roster of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865--Gen E548 .H4 1995
The Source--Gen CS49 .S65 1997
Virtual Roots--Gen CS21 .K46 1997
Vital Records Handbook--Gen CS42.7 .K46 1990

Alabama Genealogical Society, Inc.
Samford University Library, Special Collections Department
Phone: (205) 870-2749

Central Alabama Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 125, Selma, AL 36702-0125

The Genealogical Society of East Alabama, Inc.
P.O. Box 2892, Opelika, AL 36803

Mobile Genealogical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 6224, Mobile, AL 36606
http://www.siteone.com/clubs/mgs/

Montgomery Genealogical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 230194, Montgomery, AL 36123-0194
http://www.rootsweb.com/~almontgo/mgs.htm

Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 674, Gadsden, AL 35902
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/5952/

Pike County Historical and Genealogical Society
Rt.2, Box 272, Goshen, AL 36035

Southeast Alabama Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 143, Dothan, AL 36302

Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 1568, Huntsville, AL 35807
http://www.tvgs.org

Georgia Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 54575, Atlanta, GA 30308-0575
http://www.gagensociety.org/links.htm

Muscogee Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 761, Columbus, GA 31902
http://www.muscogeegenealogy.com/

National Genealogical Society
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/index.htm

Algenweb
http://www.rootsweb.com/~algenweb/

Alabama Department of Archives & History
http://www.archives.state.al.us/

Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy
http://www.ibiblio.org/laslave/index.html

Bureau of Land Management
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/

Cyndi's Genealogy Page
http://www.CyndisList.com

Georgia Department of Archives & History
http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/

Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
http://istg.rootsweb.com

National Archives & Records Administration
http://www.archives.gov/

North Carolina Division of Archives & History
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/

NCHS - How to obtain vital records
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/

South Carolina Department of Archives & History
http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/homepage.htm

Tennessee State Library & Archives
http://www.state.tn.us/sos/statelib/pubsvs/intro.htm

Virginia Archives & Manuscript Repositories
http://www.lva.lib.va.us