Family History

Whether you're trying to retrieve a copy of your own marriage license, or you're conducting a genealogy study into your family tree, obtaining an old marriage license is relatively easy. But the...

Learning about your family history influences your future. At a time when family values are being threatened, it is important to form bonds between the generations. Fortunately, today you have...

A personal legacy statement is a document that someone writes about himself for future family members to read and share. Many people want to provide a personal legacy statement for their family...

Each state handles adoption procedures and requirements a little differently. However, adoption records are sealed in most states once the adoption is finalized. While protecting the privacy of...

Family shields are a form of identification to belonging within a family. There are distinct parts to each shield and every element that is featured has some meaning or significance.

African American families have a particularly daunting challenge in piecing together their family tree. Few accurate records were kept of the origins or original names of slaves brought to...

A Department of Defense Form 214 (DD-214) is issued to each member of the armed forces when he separates from the service. It contains the name, service number, branch of service, rank at the time...

If you want to honor someone online, Squidoo is a natural for creating this kind of personal website. It might be a memorial page for someone who died, or a page in honor of your parent or a...

There's a t-shirt that reads "So Many Relatives, So Little Time." The avid genealogist, whether professional or amateur, totally understands the message embodied in that statement. How...

Feel like you've run into a dead end in tracking down your family history? If so, a visit to one or more state archives might be your best resource for shaking loose some more genealogical...

Genealogy or family history is a growing hobby for many Americans. People have an innate interest in where they come from. It is interesting to trace one's roots back to foreign lands and gather...

Few of us realize the richness of our own family history that can be extracted from those of our older relatives yet living. Time marches on, and then all the wonderful stories get lost forever. ...

Have you been wanting to search for your ancestors online but don't know where to start? Here are a few tips and web sites you can try on your journey to discovering your ancestors.

Once parents pass away, their medical records are closed and, because of the many privacy laws in effect, you may run into some difficulties obtaining their information. However, this genetic...

Genealogists study families and their histories in order to trace lineage. Genealogists may come from different educational backgrounds or use a variety of skills to trace a family's history,...

Military service members often earn medals and ribbons through their service in specific military operations. Although most of those awards are presented during service, it is possible that some...

Looking up ancestry records such as family genealogy, immigration records, birth certificates, and wedding certificates will give you direct and in depth knowledge into your family's roots....

Share your family tree with friends, family and even other amateur genealogists by building a web-based family tree. If you're just starting out in genealogy, a web-based family tree can allow you...

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is distinct from the DNA that comprises most of our genes. Mitochondria, small organelles that function in energy production, contain their own DNA. In addition,...

There was a time, not so long ago, when searching census records meant traveling to a repository that had copies of the censuses and poring through bound volumes of indexes looking for your...

If you own an older home, or one of historical interest, you may like to know more about it. You may be able to find out more about the physical history of the house and any other buildings on the...

Whether you are a new to family history research or just want to learn how to do it better, the free genealogy courses at Genealogy.com are an excellent way to learn. The courses offered are...

Millions of books have been digitized and placed online. These massive collections span centuries, come from all corners of the globe, include dozens of languages, and cover every topic...

Sherlock Holmes would be astounded at the many possibilities that exist today for finding deceased people. Information about deceased people is sometimes needed for legal or health related reasons...

The popularity of genealogy studies has exploded in recent years, with hundreds of websites and magazines dedicated to the topic. Along with satisfying curiosity, there are many practical reasons...

Creating a family history website can be a rewarding experience. Maybe you would like to find out where you came from or what famous relatives you have on your family tree. Your family ancestry...

An online search for your ancestors may result in family trees spanning centuries---the countless hours of work done by long-lost relatives. Even for those who cannot find family trees created by...

Information about a military service member's personnel file is available to the general public. The type of information you are entitled to is outlined in the Freedom of Information Act and the...

Discovering your family history can be thrilling, and many resources exist to help you learn about your ancestors. The Internet allows you to easily search for family records all from the comfort...

"A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England" by James Savage is, without a doubt, the best New England genealogical reference ever compiled. This massive work gives...

Have you been wondering how to find a certified copy of my birth certificate? The fastest and easiest way to get a certified copy of a birth certificate is to contact the county that you were...

When writing a family book, it's not only important to add family genealogy, it's just as important to add personal stories. Those stories will bring people to life through words and your book...

Birth certificates can be requested through your state's department of vital statistics. Follow all directions carefully to ensure that you receive your certificate in a timely manner. While the...

Writing an obituary does not have to be a loathsome task. Using these basic guidelines, the last tribute and memorial to the deceased will be an honorable and memorable one.

Finding your family crest online is simple and can be done fairly quickly. According to House of Names, family crests, also known as coats of arms, are symbols given to represent surnames. Not...

Technically, the term family crest refers to the image that appears on the helmet of a family's coat of arms, a family symbol that dates back to the medieval time period. However, over the years,...

During the Civil War, 1861 to 1865, about 2.8 million men and a few hundred women served in the Union and Confederate armies. Whether you are researching a Union or a Confederate veteran, begin...

Vital records are the records kept by government of births, deaths, and marriages (and sometimes, divorce as well), as gleaned from birth certificates, death certificates and other official...

Before there were phone books -- for that matter, before there were phones! -- many communities published Directories. These helpful documents listed many of the homes and businesses in the area,...