Digital documents form the backbone of modern genealogy research. The hardest part remains, however, in finding free resources. Luckily, many U.S. states have put a good deal of effort into making their records freely accessible online
Native American genealogy is a fascinating area of study that allows individuals to uncover their ancestry and connect with their heritage.
Do you have ancestors that served during the American Revolutionary War? A surprising number of records exist from this period and there are now numerous free collections online.
Digital documents form the backbone of modern genealogy research. The hardest part remains, however, in finding free resources. Luckily, many U.S. states have put a good deal of effort into making their records freely accessible online
Amy Johnson Crow is an expert genealogy educator who can help you learn how to discover your family history. Host of the Generations Cafe podcast.
For a long time, German census records were thought not to exist. But they do! A leading German genealogy expert tells us how they’ve been discovered and catalogued—and where you can learn about…
The top 10 free British genealogy sites that are essential for researching your British ancestors. Includes some much overlooked ones.
An article featuring an infographic with a timeline of key historical events in Colonial America.
Uplevel your genealogy research with libraries and archives. Discover the different types of libraries you can use to find family stories, records, and more.
Where to find free genealogy books online looks at where you can find free genealogy books and gives some examples of what you can find.
Paid software does not always mean you are getting the best. Here are some free genealogy software programs you can download.
Today I am giving one of my lectures for the last time. I am retiring "The DAR Library for All." Lucky you! That means I'm...
Where to find online Canadian genealogy research records is a roundup of the main genealogy records available to the family historian.
Yes, free genealogy sites do exist. Here's how to avoid spending money on ancestry research without limiting your tree.
Why you should use the National Archives in London, even if you can't visit in person. This is a look at it's online genealogy resources.
Can you trace your ancestors back to Colonial America? If so, you may find that searching for your family during this time period is more challenging than you expected. But there is hope of discovering new insights - you just need to know where, and how, to look.
Make Instant Discoveries About Your Ancestors Here Are you interested in finally searching out the truth behind that old family story about a Native American ancestor? Or perhaps you already know that the story is true, but you’re not quite sure where to go next. Luckily, there are many online guides, records collections and specialized resources that can … Do You Have Hidden Native American Ancestry? Here’s How to Find Out Read More »
Old family photos can help you to discover more about what your ancestors, and can help to give you a better understanding of what they were like as people, rather than simply having birth, marriage, and death dates. You may be very lucky in that you already hold a great number of photographs of your
Trace your Eastern European ancestors from American shores back to the old country. This in-depth guide will walk you step-by-step through the exciting—and challenging—journey of finding your Polish, Czech, or Slovak roots. You'll learn how to identify immigrant ancestors, find your family's town of origin, locate key genealogical resources, decipher foreign-language records, and untangle the region's complicated history. The book also includes timelines, sample records, resource lists, and sample record request letters to aid your research. In this book, you'll find • The best online resources for Polish, Czech, and Slovak genealogy, plus a clear research path you can follow to find success • Tips and resources for retracing your ancestors’ journey to America • Detailed guidance for finding and using records in the old country • Helpful background on Polish, Czech, and Slovak history, geography, administrative divisions, and naming patterns • How the Three Partitions of Poland and the Austro-Hungarian Empire affect genealogical research and records • Information on administrative divisions to help you identify where your ancestors' records are kept • Sample letters for requesting records from overseas archives • Case studies that apply concepts and strategies to real-life research problems Whether your ancestors hail from Warsaw or a tiny village in the Carpathians, The Family Tree Polish, Czech and Slovak Genealogy Guide will give you the tools you need to track down your ancestors in Eastern Europe. Product DetailsISBN-13: 9781440343278 Media Type: Paperback Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication Date: 02-12-2016 Pages: 240 Product Dimensions: 7.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction 6 Part 1 Linking Your Family tree to Polis Czech and Slovak Localities Chapter 1 Your Polish, Czech, Or Slovak Heritage 9 Take pride in your Eastern European heritage. This chapter briefs you on why you should research your Polish, Czech, and Slovak ancestors. Chapter 2 Jump-Starting Your Polish, Czech, and Slovak Research 17 Maximize your research time by planning ahead, This chapter outlines how to identify your goals, build a family tree, and apply key genealogical principles. Chapter 3 Identifying Your Immigrant Ancestor 32 Unlock the two keys to European research: the name of your immigrant ancestor and his hometown. This chapter offers strategies for finding these crucial pieces of info that will guide the rest of your research. Chapter 4 The History Of Poland 48 Dive into the turbulent history of Poland with this crash course guide to Polish history through the Commonwealth era, the partitions, the world wars, and beyond. Chapter 5 The History of the Czech and Slovak Republics 59 Catch a glimpse of these countries' histories, from their time in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the formation of Czechoslovakia and eventual independence. Part 2 Getting to Know the Old Country Chapter 6 Understanding Eastern European Geography 69 Learn how geography shaped your ancestors' lives by using maps, atlases, and gazetteers. Chapter 7 Languages, Surnames, and Given Names 85 Master the mother tongue with these resources for learning the basics of the Polish, Czech, and Slovak languages and naming conventions. Part 3 Tracing Your Family in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia Chapter 8 Vital Records 95 Discover the most basic "wheres" and "whens" of your ancestor's life with this guide to birth, marriage, and death records. Chapter 9 Census Records 112 Reach into the past to find where your ancestors lived in a given year. This chapter outlines where to find (and how to use) census records in Eastern Europe. Chapter 10 Military Records 120 Follow the tracks your military ancestors left behind with this guide to military records from Eastern Europe. Chapter 11 Other Record Resources 129 Expand your research horizons with these resources you may not have thought to check. This chapter details how to use records like newspapers and local histories. Chapter 12 Heritage Travel and On-Site Research 141 Walk a mile in your ancestors' shoes with these helpful travel tips. Part 4 Advanced Source and Strategies Chapter 13 Putting It All Together 150 Check out these case studies from genealogists who have tracked down their Polish, Czech, and Slovak ancestors. Chapter 14 What To Do When You Get Stuck 161 Conquer your research roadblocks with this guide to resources for when your genealogical research comes to a standstill. Appendix A Understanding Polish 170 Appendix B Understanding Czech 176 Appendix C Understanding Slovak 182 Appendix D Us Genealogy Archives and Libraries 188 Appendix E Civil Record Archives in Europe 191 Appendix F Church Record Archives in Europe 198 Appendix G Sample Letters to Request Records 205 Appendix H Polish, Czech, and Slovak Historical and Genealogical Societies 212 Appendix I Websites and Publications 216 Index 228 Show More
Family tree abbreviations are shortened versions of words or phrases, and can be easier to use, especially on a family tree when space can be limited. You are sure to find many family tree abbreviations in transcripts of parish registers, census returns, other transcripts, indexes and genealogy books as you conduct family history research. These
Vol. 1 (1890/91)-v. 40 (1902) in 1916; v. 41 (1902)-v. 80 (1910) in 1926; v. 81 (1910)-v. 120 (1915) in 1939; v. 121 (1916)-v. 160 (1920) in 1940
German genealogy expert James Beidler shares practical tips for making it easier to find the origins of your German ancestors.
A collection of the best genealogy apps for staying organized while finding your ancestors. Make researching on the go easier with these free apps.
In this article for National Native American Heritage Month, Gena Philibert-Ortega explains how to use the Dawes Rolls for Native American genealogy.
How to do family history takes you through the stages for successful genealogy research using links to the best articles on the web.
The top 10 free British genealogy sites that are essential for researching your British ancestors. Includes some much overlooked ones.
More Black genealogy resources are coming online as records get digitized. Here’s 10 resources to help your search.
Digital documents form the backbone of modern genealogy research. The hardest part remains, however, in finding free resources. Luckily, many U.S. states have put a good deal of effort into making their records freely accessible online
Maps provide important clues for family historians of all levels but finding the right ones can be a time-consuming task. In this post, learn where to find for the best maps for genealogy research!
This free ebook has been curated to provide you with genealogy research methods for finding your ancestors’ military service records.
An Amazing Free British Genealogy Resource: The Gazette. This post looks at the often overlooked family history resource covering 350 years.
Family history research is never complete. There are always more records to be discovered, photos to be identified, and additional connections to uncover. But maybe you’ve reached the point when you want to share what you’ve learned so far. Here are some great options. Family history research is never complete. There are always more records to be discovered, photos to be identified, and additional connections to uncover. But maybe you’ve reached the point when you want to share what you’ve learned so far. Here are some great options.
10 genealogy research tips I wish I'd known at the start looks at mistakes made and how to avoid them when starting your family tree.
Make Instant Discoveries About Your Ancestors Here Many family historians are fully aware of the fact that the 1890 census, which contained more than 60 million individuals, was destroyed in the early 20th century and is therefore not available for genealogical research. The lack of this valuable resource, one from such an important time in … Thousands of 1890 Census Records DO Still Exist: Here’s How to Find Them for Free Read More »
Ari Wilkins shares how plantation records can help you with all kinds of Southern research, including dealing with burned counties and slave research.
Make Instant Discoveries About Your Ancestors Here If you’re one of the many thousands of genealogists that have tested your DNA in the hopes of better understanding your genetic heritage, you’ll be excited to hear that there is a new way to analyze your results — and it’s free. In October 2015 a new project from … The Free Genetic Ancestry Report You Don’t Want to Miss Read More »
You may know that The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. But did you know that within these millions of items are rich and free genealogy resources?
A DD 214 or discharge paper, can be confusing with military acronyms and jargon. Start deciphering the form to learn more about your veteran’s service.
An article (with a complete title list) about the 27 Colonial newspapers available in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives.
Where to find free genealogy books online looks at where you can find free genealogy books and gives some examples of what you can find.
The power of researching our ancestors in the communities where they lived cannot be overstated. Above is a portion of a census table I created showing dwelling and family number, name, age and a few other notations. John and Abigail Waters John and Abigail Waters lived with their immediate African-American neighbors in the community of
The top 10 free British genealogy sites that are essential for researching your British ancestors. Includes some much overlooked ones.
