Internet Sites

Ancestry.com

Major Internet site with a variety of databases, including census and military records, passenger lists, directories, and the Social Security Death Index.  Message boards, printable forms, and how-to articles also aid genealogists. Viewing many of the records requires a subscription. Alternatively, Ancestry Library Edition can be used for free as an online database in the Pratt Library.

 

Cyndi's List

Visited by more than 15,000 people daily (website), Cyndi's List is a necessary stop on any genealogical search. Over 250,000 links are arranged by topics that  include specific U.S. localities, ethnic groups, regions and countries, types of records, and beginning genealogy. New topics include genetics and DNA, blogs, and wikis.

 

Ellis Island

A searchable database of immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924.  In most cases, after locating an immigrant, one can view the ship's manifest and an image of the ship. 

Family History Internet Genealogy Service - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

This database is a link with the vast genealogical resources of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Searchable databases of census, vital records and user-submitted genealogies include over a billion names (website). Research outlines, forms, and maps offer further online help. An online catalog for the Family History Library allows genealogists to identify microfilm records that they can order at a local Family History Center.

Library of Congress Local History & Genealogy Reading Room

A guide to the genealogical resources available at the Library of Congress, as well as a list of Internet sites. Resources for researching ethnic groups, guides to finding newspapers and directories, tips for searching the Library of Congress catalog for genealogy materials, and information about visiting the Library of Congress to use the collections is provided.

National Archives Genealogy Page

The National Archives holds a vast collection of records--census, immigration, naturalization, land, and military--indispensible to genealogists. Although most of the records are not online, the website features online indexes and catalogs for locating microfilm and original records available at the National Archives, and includes information about ordering copies of records or visiting the Archives for research.

Royal Genealogical Data

Searchable database on European royalty from ancient times to the present.

USGenWeb Project

If you've already pinpointed where your American ancestor lived, this site can help further. USGenWeb features state and county information such as land transfers, wills, and marriage records, transcribed by volunteers.  WorldGenWeb is the corresponding site for international genealogy.

Books

The Source  : A Guidebook to American Genealogy     3rd rev. ed. A very detailed guide to American genealogy. Focuses heavily on how to find federal, state, and local records. This book has a companion volume entitled "Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records," which Pratt also owns. Call Number: XCS49.S65q Check this item in our catalog

maintained by the staff of the Social Science & History Department, State Library Resource Center, Enoch Pratt Free Library