Alabama Research Tips and Strategies: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 14:53, 30 June 2020

United States

Alabama

Research Tips and Strategies

Alabama Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Record Types

Alabama Background

Cultural Groups

Local Research Resources

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page
The Alabama Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Alabama. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Alabama Research Strategies[edit | edit source]

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Alabama

Alabama Research Tips[edit | edit source]

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Alabama.

Birth information Birth records in Alabama start on the county level in 1908 - although not all counties complied with the law. A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other substitute records to improve accuracy.

Finding Parents The State of Alabama began recording deaths in 1908. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. Search Alabama death records

Look in all censuses Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. Search U.S. Censuses.

Alabama Record Finder[edit | edit source]

This Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research.

1. What you are looking for:	2. Try these records first:	3. Other useful records
Birth information	Birth records, Death records, Obituaries, Church records	Cemeteries, Naturalization and Citizenship, Bible records, Military records (pension)
Marriage information	Marriage records, Obituaries, Bible records	Church records, Probate records, Military records
Death information	Death Records, Cemeteries, Obituaries	Probate Records, Church Records, Bible Records
Parents	Birth records, Death records, Obituaries, Census, Church records	Biography, Genealogy
Maiden name	Marriage Records, Obituaries, Probate records	Church Records, Military Records (pension)
Immigration date	Emigration and Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship, Census	Obituaries, Biography, History
Naturalization	Naturalization and Citizenship, Census, Court Records	Voting Registers, Biography, Periodicals
Physical description	Military Records, Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906)	Biography, History

To look for more Alabama records, go here.

Further Alabama Research[edit | edit source]

For more research on Alabama, including research at the county level, visit the Alabama page on the Research Wiki.

Search all of the Alabama record collections at FamilySearch.

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-| link1=[[Alabama, United States Genealogy|Alabama]]
+| link1=[[United_States Genealogy |United States]]
-| link2=
+| link2=[[Alabama, United States Genealogy|Alabama]]
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@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 <center><font size = "4"><br>'''Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page'''</font></center><br>
 <center>''The Alabama Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Alabama. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.''</center><br>
-|}
+|}<br><br>
-== Alabama Research Strategies  ==
+=== Alabama Research Strategies  ===
-Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Alabama:<br>
-===Finding Alabama Birth, Marriage or Death Records===
+Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Alabama
-*[[GuidedResearch:Alabama|Finding Alabama Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research]]
-===Finding Alabama Records===
-*[[Alabama Record Finder]]
-===Alabama Statewide Databases===
 *[[Alabama Online Genealogy Records|Alabama Online Genealogy Records]]
-===Alabama Research Process===
-*[[Step-by-Step Alabama Research, 1880-Present]]
-*[[Step-by-Step Alabama Research, 1850-1910]]
-*[[Alabama Descendancy Research]]
 *[[How to Find Alabama Birth Records|How to find Alabama Birth Records]]
 *[[How to Find Alabama Marriage Records|How to find Alabama Marriage Records]]
@@ Line 34: / Line 23: @@
 *[[Alabama Search Strategies|Alabama Search Strategies]]
-== Alabama Research Tips  ==
+=== Alabama Research Tips  ===
+These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Alabama.
+'''Birth information &nbsp;'''Birth records in Alabama start on the county level in 1908 - although not all counties complied with the law. A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other [[Substitute Records For United States Birth Information|substitute records]] to improve accuracy.
+'''Finding Parents''' &nbsp;The State of Alabama began recording deaths in 1908. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. [[How to Find United States Death Records|Search Alabama death records]]
-These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Alabama:<br>
+'''Look in all censuses''' &nbsp;&nbsp;Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. [[United States Census Online|Search U.S. Censuses.]]'''<br>'''
-<br>
-'''Birth and Death information:'''<br>
+=== Alabama Record Finder  ===
-----
-*'''''Statewide registration:''''' The state began registering births and deaths in 1908, with full compliance by 1927.
+This Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research.
-*'''''County regististration:''''' Counties were required to record birth and death records in 1881 until the state board took over in 1908, although registration was inconsistent.
-*'''''Access to records:''''' See [[Alabama Vital Records]] for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Alabama.
+{| width="70%" border="1"
-<br>
+|-
-'''Substitute Records:'''
+| '''1. What you are looking for:'''
-----
+| '''2. Try these records first:'''
-*'''''Secondary source:''''' Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
+| '''3. Other useful records'''
-*'''''Accuracy:''''' Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help varify information.
+|-
-*'''''List of substitute records:''''' See [[Alabama Substitute Records|Alabama Substitute Records]] for more information.
+| Birth information
-<br>
+| [[How to Find Alabama Birth Records|Birth records]], [[How to Find Alabama Death Records|Death records]], [[Alabama Obituaries|Obituaries]], [[Alabama Church Records|Church records]]
-'''Finding Parents:'''
+| [[Alabama Cemeteries|Cemeteries]], [[Alabama Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]], [[Alabama Bible Records|Bible records]], [[Alabama Military Records|Military records]] (pension)
-----
+|-
-*'''''Death records:''''' Death records created by the county starting in 1881 may contain parents of the deceased. However, starting in 1908, the state recorded deaths that required birth and parent information. Information was not always provided and the accuracy of the information was limited by the grieving relatives' memory.
+| Marriage information
-*'''''Obituaries:''''' Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See [[Alabama Newspapers]] and [[Alabama Obituaries]] for more information.
+| [[How to Find Alabama Marriage Records|Marriage records]], [[Alabama Obituaries|Obituaries]], [[Alabama Bible Records|Bible records]]
-*'''''Church records:''''' Knowing the denominiation of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See [[Alabama Church Records]] for more information.
+| [[Alabama Church Records|Church records]], [[Alabama Probate Records|Probate records]], [[Alabama Military Records|Military records]]
-<br>
+|-
-'''Census Records:'''
+| Death information
-----
+| [[How to Find Alabama Death Records|Death Records]], [[Alabama Cemeteries|Cemeteries]], [[Alabama Obituaries|Obituaries]]
-*'''''Check all census years:''''' Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See [[Alabama Census|Alabama Census Records]] for more information.
+| [[Alabama Probate Records|Probate Records]], [[Alabama Church Records|Church Records]], [[Alabama Bible Records|Bible Records]]
-*'''''Clues to other records:''''' There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
+|-
-*'''''Finding families:''''' Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.
+| Parents
+| [[How to Find Alabama Birth Records|Birth records]],&nbsp;[[How to Find Alabama Death Records|Death records]], [[Alabama Obituaries|Obituaries]], [[Alabama Census|Census]], [[Alabama Church Records|Church records]]
+| [[Alabama Biography|Biography]], [[Alabama, United States Genealogy|Genealogy]]
+|-
+| Maiden name
+| [[How to Find Alabama Marriage Records|Marriage Records]], [[Alabama Obituaries|Obituaries]], [[Alabama Probate Records|Probate records]]
+| [[Alabama Church Records|Church Records]], [[Alabama Military Records|Military Records]] (pension)
+|-
+| Immigration date
+| [[Alabama Emigration and Immigration|Emigration and Immigration]], [[Alabama Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]], [[Alabama Census|Census]]
+| [[Alabama Obituaries|Obituaries]], [[Alabama Biography|Biography]], [[Alabama History|History]]
+|-
+| Naturalization
+| [[Alabama Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]], [[Alabama Census|Census]], [[Alabama Court Records|Court Records]]
+| [[Alabama Voting Registers|Voting Registers]], [[Alabama Biography|Biography]], [[Alabama Periodicals|Periodicals]]
+|-
+| Physical description
+| [[Alabama Military Records|Military Records]], [[Alabama Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]] (after 1906)
+| [[Alabama Biography|Biography]], [[Alabama History|History]]
+|}
-== Further Alabama Research  ==
+To look for more Alabama records, [[Alabama Record Finder|go here]].
-*[http://files.lib.byu.edu/family-history-library/research-outlines/US/Alabama.pdf Alabama Family History Library Research Outline]
+=== Further Alabama Research  ===
-*[https://algenweb.org/ ALGenWeb] at Alabama GenWeb Project
-*[http://genealogytrails.com/ala/ Alabama Genealogy Trails] - collection of transcribed data for the state of Alabama
-*[http://www.cyndislist.com/us/al/ Cyndi's List] - Alabama genealogy websites
-*[http://www.raogk.org/alabama-genealogy/ Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness] - State of Alabama Records Guide
+For more research on Alabama, including research at the county level, visit the [[Alabama, United States Genealogy|Alabama]] page on the Research Wiki.
+Search all of the [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/location/33?region=United%20States%20of%20America Alabama record collections] at FamilySearch.
 [[Category:Alabama Research Strategies]][[Category:Research Tips and Strategies]]
 [[Category:United States Research Strategies]]