Spending time with family over the holidays or on a special occasion often sparks the desire to begin genealogy research. Where and How to begin your research quickly become questions to answer. Genealogy may seem like a complicated process for the newbie, but the first steps – those beginner genealogy steps – are not. The first steps in genealogy are fairly straight forward and once mastered will give you a great foundation for further pursuit of your ancestors. Because, of course, you will be hooked! Note: If you have been researching genealogy for a while now and are not technically a beginner, READ ON! Going back to the basics is…

Many researchers struggle to trace their female ancestors.  Moving into the pre-1850 census records and the search gets even harder. Tougher still is tracing are our ancestors who were children prior to the 1850 U.S. census. While the search for young children  in early records is hard, it is certainly not an impossible search. If you suspect your ancestor had young children or are researching your ancestor as a young child, you owe it to your research (and them) to check all possible records. Using Pre-1850 Records To Find An Ancestor’s Children This article primarily addresses U.S. records. If you are research  ancestors outside of the U.S., seek out that…

Researching colonial ancestors can be tough, but doesn’t have to be. Dare I say finding your ancestors in colonial genealogy records can be quite rewarding (and fun). As with all of your genealogy research, having a solid research in place is key. Strategies for Researching Colonial Genealogy Records In this article we are going take a look at strategies and examples of colonial records databases to include in your research plan for that colonial ancestor. Before You Even Create Your Research Plan – Study Your History! (You are going to create a research plan, right?!) Regardless of the time period you are researching, having a knowledge of the area’s history…