Genealogy is the largest growing "Hobby" in the United States.  
Almost 40% of the internet is said to
be genealogy related.  SO WHERE DO YOU START?

1.  Start with what you know...........talk to your family, and extended family, any information is better than none.  Does anyone have bible records, pictures?  Has anyone in the family done any
genealogy? 

2.  Invest in a Genealogy Program.  You will eventually have so much information that you will not be able to keep it all      in your head, TRUST ME.  There are a couple of programs that you can download for FREE from the internet.  I use      Family Tree Maker.......and if you are serious about this "Hobby", it's a good program, but there are others.
                My Brother's Keeper
                Lineages

3. So now you have a Genealogy Program........enter what you know!  I can't stress enough that you should include as "SOURCE INFORMATION"  where you obtained the information you are entering. When you look back, after hopefully entering several hundred or thousands of names, someone is going to ask where you got the information....... or you will  look at it and wonder where you got it........so SOURCE, SOURCE, SOURCE. Start with yourself or your parents.
Put in everything that you know about them.  Where they were born, went to school, military
service, where they were married (see #4), and if they are deceased, where and when they died,
(see #4).  Then start working on your grandparents.  Usually most people can go back at least
this far, without too much trouble.  WORK BACK, don't try to find someone in the 1800's
unless you have actually taken your line that far.

4. Well you have drained your family's knowledge dry..........where to now?  Do you have modern (after 1900) births, marriages, and deaths?  Send for certificates..........which takes us to #5.

5.  It varies from state to state on which legal documents such as birth certificates, death certificates and marriage licenses are available.  Some states have these documents from the mid 1800's and some don't have them until the 1900's.  Generally speaking, birth and death certs are not going to be obtainable prior to 1900, especially in the South.  In the Northern States, you will have more luck.  Marriage records depend on which courthouse burned here in the South............I have been able to obtain copies from as early as 1839 in Georgia.

6.  Census Records......Census records started in 1790, but the early census records were just
name, (head of household only) and listed males and females in age categories........so unless you
know a lot about the family already, these earlier census records are not the place to start.
Census records are available at most libraries, and at your local Family History Center.  BUT a
lot of census records are available on line.  Up to 1930 has been released by the US Census
Bureau, with the 1940 census not due out til 2012.

7.  Check out the USGenWeb  www.usgenweb.org and go to the counties where your folks were
born or died.  Look for your surnames in that county........be sure to check out the Archives for
that county.

8.  There are mailing lists for Surnames and counties where your families lived.  Check at Rootsweb (page down to Mailing Lists) and see what all is available. 
     

©2004 Sharon Pierce