Genealogy For Dummies

The fun way to research your family history

Genealogy For Dummies, 8th Edition covers everything you need to know about starting a genealogical research project--including where and how to find information, how to communicate with other online genealogists, how to leverage social networking sites and apps, how to add digital images to your family tree, and how to build your own site for sharing information. It also explains the use of compiled genealogies, U.S. Census information, and public access catalogs.

Brand new to this edition is content on how to conduct genealogical research on the road, and on how to take this research and integrate it into the data found at home. It also contains new information on DNA research and testing, new geocoding applications to record geographic data into a genealogical database, and other new technologies. The book covers which apps are worth your money, and how to get the most out of them.

• Use the latest tools to research family history

• Create your own site to showcase your family tree, digital images, and compiled genealogies

• Get access to free versions of Legacy Family Tree and Personal Ancestral Files

• Utilize both online and offline research techniques and tools

Follow the clues to uncover your family's legacy--and have fun along the way!

Auteur

Matthew L. Helm and April Leigh Helm manage several leading online genealogical resources, including HistoryKat.com. They're also the founders of Boneyard Creek Heritage, Inc. Books by the Helms include Family Tree Maker For Dummies, Get Your Degree Online, Genealogy Online: Tech to Connect and seven editions of Genealogy Online For Dummies.

Résumé
The fun way to research your family history Genealogy For Dummies, 8th Edition covers everything you need to know about starting a genealogical research projectincluding where and how to find information, how to communicate with other online genealogists, how to leverage social networking sites and apps, how to add digital images to your family tree, and how to build your own site for sharing information. It also explains the use of compiled genealogies, U.S. Census information, and public access catalogs. Brand new to this edition is content on how to conduct genealogical research on the road, and on how to take this research and integrate it into the data found at home. It also contains new information on DNA research and testing, new geocoding applications to record geographic data into a genealogical database, and other new technologies. The book covers which apps are worth your money, and how to get the most out of them.

• Use the latest tools to research family history
• Create your own site to showcase your family tree, digital images, and compiled genealogies
• Get access to free versions of Legacy Family Tree and Personal Ancestral Files
• Utilize both online and offline research techniques and tools Follow the clues to uncover your family's legacyand have fun along the way!

Contenu
Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Getting Started with Genealogy 5

Chapter 1: Beginning Your Ancestral Journey 7

It's About Time(line) 7

Crafting an online timeline 9

Learning about Sources 13

Using Genealogical Applications 15

Entering Information into RootsMagic Essentials 17

Completing the Pedigree Page 20

Creating the Virtual You 21

Giving Your Ancestors Some Privacy 24

Beefing Up Your Profile 24

Citing Your Sources 26

Getting the Full Media Experience 28

Reaching Out to Others 29

Hinting Around about Your Ancestors 30

Giving Your Ancestors Some Mobility 31

Telling Your Story 34

Chapter 2: Hunting for Your Ancestral Treasures 35

A Brief Message about Research Steps 35

Selecting a Person to Begin Your Search 36

Trying a semi-unique name 36

Narrowing your starting point 36

Choosing someone you know about 38

Selecting a grandparent's name 39

Beginning to Put the Puzzle Together 39

Getting the 4-1-1 from Your Kinfolk 41

Dusting off old photo albums 43

Striking it rich in closets, in basements, and under beds 45

Adding Your Ancestors One by One 47

Using a bit of (Roots)Magic to keep track of your family 48

Logging your data into Ancestry Family Tree 53

Chapter 3: Searching Primary Resource Sites 55

Touring Ancestry.com 56

Trying Ancestry.com for free 56

Searching Ancestry.com's vast collection 58

Sifting through the results 62

RootsWeb.com at a Glance 68

Investigating FamilySearch 69

Creating a free account 69

FamilySearching records 70

Using FamilySearch results 71

Other FamilySearch search functions 75

Giving Back through FamilySearch Indexing 75

Saluting Fold3 76

Creating a trial account 76

Searching at Fold3 77

Finding Your Past 82

Exploring MyHeritage 84

Chapter 4: Using All of Your Censuses 87

Coming to Your Census 88

United States census schedules 88

State, territorial, and other census records 95

Finding Your Ancestors in U.S Census Records 97

Sifting through census record results 98

Digging into digitized census records 100

Consolidating your discoveries 104

Using census records to tell a story 106

Census Records from Afar 109

Africa 110

Asia 110

Europe 110

North America 113

Oceania 113

South America 113

Part 2: Bringing Your Ancestor to Life 115

Chapter 5: Digging Deeper into Your Ancestors' Lives 117

These Records Are Vital 117

Reading vital records 118

Gauging vitals online 120

Investigating Immigration and Naturalization Records 123

Passenger lists 125

Naturalization records 127

Land Ho! Researching Land Records 129

Surveying land lovers in the U.S. 130

Using HistoryGeo.com to map your ancestor's land 134

Marching to a Different Drummer: Searching for Military Records 135

Taxation with Notation 140

Trial and Error at the Courthouse 142

Getting the News on Your Ancestors 143

Chapter 6: Mapping the Past 147

Are We There Yet? Researching Where There Was to Your Ancestors 148

Using documents that you already possess 148 <...