From the beginning of time, it seems that humans have been fascinated with ancestry. Even in Biblical times, it’s clear that genealogy records of some kind were kept, even if only orally. Researchers think that many of the hieroglyphs on Egyptian pyramids record the ancestry of the Pharaohs and other important nobles. This tradition of record keeping and veneration of those that came before has stayed with humanity through the generations. In the modern era, this fascination with ancestors is manifested through the wild popularity of genealogy and genealogy websites. If you’re interested in doing genealogy research, you can use public records to jump start your family history project.
Geneological Resources
Early Vital Records
Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death certificates. In some jurisdictions, vital records may also include records of civil unions or domestic partnerships. In the United States, vital records are typically maintained at the state level.National Archives
See the list of genealogical records on CD-ROM available at the National Archives in Washington D.C.
Genealogical research is a complex process that uses historical records and sometimes genetic analysis to demonstrate kinship. Reliable conclusions are based on the quality of sources, ideally original records, the information within those sources, ideally primary or firsthand information, and the evidence that can be drawn, directly or indirectly, from that information. In many instances, genealogists must skillfully assemble indirect or circumstantial evidence to build a case for identity and kinship.
Most genealogy software programs can export information about persons and their relationships in a standardized format called “GEDCOM” In that format it can be shared with other genealogists, added to online databases, or converted into family web sites.
Genealogists use a wide variety of records in their research. To effectively conduct genealogical research, it is important to understand how the records were created, what information is included in them, and how and where to access them.