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How to Find Descendants in the United States (view source)
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<br>'''Finding published family histories.''' Family histories may give genealogical information about one or more generations of a family. They are a great place to start, but verify information you find in published family histories for accuracy. | <br>'''Finding published family histories.''' Family histories may give genealogical information about one or more generations of a family. They are a great place to start, but verify information you find in published family histories for accuracy. | ||
You may find family histories in libraries in the area where your ancestors lived. The Library of Congress and the Family History Library also have extensive collections of published family histories.'''''<br>''''' | You may find family histories in libraries in the area where your ancestors lived. The Library of Congress and the Family History Library also have extensive collections of published family histories.'''''<br>'''''<br>'''Finding Internet information compiled by others.''' Internet genealogical databases are another possible source. Someone may have already posted information on the family you are seeking. A quick search of web sites may yield complete and well-documented research that only requires verification. You may even discover family members with whom you can collaborate. | ||
A good place to start your search for family information that has been compiled by others is [http://www.familysearch.org www.familysearch.org]. This site has several compiled databases that may help you find information, including the Ancestral File, the Pedigree Resource File, and the International Genealogical Index (IGI). Web sites such as [http://usgenweb.org/ GenWeb] and [http://wc.rootsweb.com Rootsweb] have collections of genealogies. You may want to post on genealogy boards the names and timeframe you are searching for, in order to get in touch with others who are looking for the same people. [http://boards.ancestry.com Ancestry] has both genealogy collections and a board for posting notes. | |||
'''Internet search engines.''' Search engines, such as [http://www.google.com/ Google] or [http://www.yahoo.com/ Yahoo], help you learn if someone has posted information on the Internet about your ancestors or their descendants. Search engines may help you find pedigree charts, family Web sites, cemetery records, personal histories, family Bibles, and so forth.<br> | '''Internet search engines.''' Search engines, such as [http://www.google.com/ Google] or [http://www.yahoo.com/ Yahoo], help you learn if someone has posted information on the Internet about your ancestors or their descendants. Search engines may help you find pedigree charts, family Web sites, cemetery records, personal histories, family Bibles, and so forth.<br> | ||
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| valign="middle" bgcolor="#ffff99" | '''Tip:''' You may find many references to your ancestor in a search engine, especially if he or she has a common name. The following search strategies can help to narrow your search: | | valign="middle" bgcolor="#ffff99" | '''Expert Tip:''' You may find many references to your ancestor in a search engine, especially if he or she has a common name. The following search strategies can help to narrow your search: | ||
*To search for an exact phrase or name, put quotation marks around your search terms. For example, search on "John K. Doe" (typing the quotation marks into the search box). Also try putting the surname first and the given name second—“Doe, John K.” | *To search for an exact phrase or name, put quotation marks around your search terms. For example, search on "John K. Doe" (typing the quotation marks into the search box). Also try putting the surname first and the given name second—“Doe, John K.” | ||
*You many also want to try the name without middle initials. | *You many also want to try the name without middle initials. | ||