About the Author
Elizabeth Powell Crowe has been pursuing genealogy for more than 30 years. Her previous editions of Genealogy Online have sold a combined total of nearly 200,000 copies. In the past, she has worked as an editor for numerous genealogy- or technology-related publications, including Computer Currents magazine, Valley Leaves, LeDespencer magazine, and the Computers in Genealogy newsletter, and she contributed articles to Digital Genealogist magazine. Crowe presents and speaks on genealogy throughout the South, when she is not pursuing elusive ancestors. She lives and works in Navarre, Florida.
Copyright © 2015 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-0-07-184111-5
MHID: 0-07-184111-3
The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-184110-8, MHID: 0-07-184110-5.
eBook conversion by codeMantra
Version 1.0
All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps.
McGraw-Hill Education eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions or for use in corporate training programs. To contact a representative, please visit the Contact Us page at www.mhprofessional.com.
Information has been obtained by McGraw-Hill Education from sources believed to be reliable. However, because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by our sources, McGraw-Hill Education, or others, McGraw-Hill Education does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or the results obtained from the use of such information.
TERMS OF USE
This is a copyrighted work and McGraw-Hill Education and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill Education’s prior consent. You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited. Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms.
THE WORK IS PROVIDED “AS IS.” MCGRAW-HILL EDUCATION AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. McGraw-Hill Education and its licensors do not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free. Neither McGraw-Hill Education nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom. McGraw-Hill Education has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work. Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill Education and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise.
This book is dedicated to my mother, Frances May Spencer Powell 1926–2007
Contents at a Glance
PART I
The Basics
1 Beginning a Genealogy Project
2 Software You’ll Need
3 Ethics, Privacy, and Law in Genealogy
PART II
Using the Internet for Genealogy
4 Genealogy Education
5 Revving Up Search Engines
6 Talk to Me: Twitter, Skype, IM, and Google
7 Fun with E-mail: Mail Lists, Newsletters, and More
8 Social Networking
9 Blogging Your Genealogy: Sites, Software, and More
10 DNA Genealogy
PART III
The Nitty Gritty: Places to Find Names, Dates, and Places
11 Vital Records and Historical Documents
12 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: FamilySearch.org
13 Ellis Island Online: The American Family Immigration History Center
14 Online Library Card Catalogs and Services
15 International Genealogy Resources
16 Ethnic Genealogy Resources
17 The National Genealogical Society
18 Ancestry.com and RootsWeb
19 Genealogical Publishing Houses and Their Sites
20 A Potpourri of Genealogy
PART IV
Appendixes
A Genealogical Standards from the National Genealogical Society
B How to Find a Professional Genealogist
Glossary
Index
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
PART I
The Basics
1 Beginning a Genealogy Project
Organize from the Beginning
Your System
Good Practices
Pick a Line
Adventures in Genealogy
References to Have at Hand
Analyze and Repeat
Know Your Terms
Sources and Proof
How to Judge
Who Created It?
How Long Ago Was It Created?
Where Does the Information Come From?
In What Form Is the Information?
How Well Does the Author Use and Define Genealogical Terms?
Does the Information Make Sense Compared to What You Already Know?
Standards of Genealogical Research
How to Write a Query
Documentation
Backup
Publishing Your Findings
Caveats
Wrapping Up
2 Software You’ll Need
Look Ma, No Wires!
Software
Which Browser Should I Use?
Genealogy Programs
Smart Phones and Tablets
Tablets
Additional Programs
Add-On Programs
Database CD-ROMs
Word-Processing Programs
Maps
E-mail
Viruses and Worms
Wrapping Up
3 Ethics, Privacy, and Law in Genealogy
Privacy
Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
Gormley’s View
DearMYRTLE’s View
Eastman’s View
Copyright
Protecting Yourself
Other Matters
Give Back
NGS Standards
Wrapping Up
PART II
Using the Internet for Genealogy
4 Genealogy Education
Teach Yourself, Be Taught, or Do Both
Teaching Yourself: Columns, Pod
casts, and Blogs
Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter
Other Blogs and Feeds
Online Courses
MOOCS
Genealogy.com
Brigham Young University
National Institute for Genealogical Studies/University of Toronto
Search College Sites for Other Courses
Offline
Professional Organizations
Regional and Local Workshops and Seminars
Wrapping Up
5 Revving Up Search Engines
Defining Terms
Searching with Savoir Faire
Using Boolean Terms
The Boolean OR
The Boolean AND
The Boolean NOT
Beyond AND/OR/NOT
Search Sites
Ancestral Findings
Linkpendium
Access Genealogy
Ancestor Hunt
Biography Guide
Cyndi’s List
Free Genealogy Search Help for Google
GenGateway
RootsWeb Search Thingy
Obituary Search Pages
White Page Directories
Wrapping Up
6 Talk to Me: Twitter, Skype, IM, and Google
Twitter
Replies and Mentions
Hashtags
VoIP and Video Chat
Google
Skype
Facebook, Yahoo! et al
Instant Messaging
Reach Out and Touch the World!
Wrapping Up
7 Fun with E-mail: Mail Lists, Newsletters, and More
Mailing Lists
Subscribing to Mailing Lists
Forums You Might Explore
Forums
Finding More Mailing Lists and Forums
Wrapping Up
8 Social Networking
A Few Definitions
Social Networking 101
Social Networking Services with Avatars: Second Life
Just Genealogy
The Main Event: Live Chats with Sound and Animation
Google+
Profile
Circles
Pages and Communities
Stream
Hangouts
MeetUp
Wrapping Up
9 Blogging Your Genealogy: Sites, Software, and More
Blogging Guidelines
How to Blog Effectively
Software and Services for Blogging
Time and Circumstance
Wrapping Up
10 DNA Genealogy
DNA Overview
Online DNA Sites
Wrapping Up
PART III
The Nitty Gritty: Places to Find Names, Dates, and Places
11 Vital Records and Historical Documents
Vital Records
Library of Congress
American Memory
American Treasures
Using the Library of Congress
The Library Today
Research Tools
National Archives and Records Administration
Other NARA Areas to Explore
Access to Archival Databases
Government Land Office
Land Patent Searches
Census Records
The U.S. Census Bureau
Some Census Sites
State and Local Sources
Obituaries and SSDI
Interment.net
Fold3
Online Searches
Transcriptions
CDs and Microfilms
Bible Records Online
Wrapping Up
12 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: FamilySearch.org
FamilySearch.org Tour
Search
Trees
Puzzilla
FamilySearch Indexing
Get Help
A Visit to a Family History Center
Wrapping Up
13 Ellis Island Online: The American Family Immigration History Center
Genealogy Getting Started Tips
Genealogy Charts and Forms
Locating a Genealogy Society
Hiring a Professional Genealogist
Helpful Websites for Genealogy Research
Using the Site
Searches
Community Archives
Ellis Island Family History
Visiting in Person
Morse’s Forms
Other Forms
Wrapping Up
14 Online Library Card Catalogs and Services
Connecting to OCCs by Web Browser
Google Books
The Library of Congress Card Catalog
Where to Find More Online
Card Catalogs
Using Your Local Library Online
Periodical Source Index on Microfiche
America’s Genealogy Bank (NewsBank)
America’s Obituaries & Death Notices (NewsBank)
Ancestry Library Edition (Available Only Inside the Library)
Heritage Quest
ProQuest Obituaries
Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Maps of Florida
Wrapping Up
15 International Genealogy Resources
Following the Past
Beyond the Boat
Translate a Site
Country-Specific Sites
Asian Genealogical Sites
European Genealogical Sites
North America
Wrapping Up
16 Ethnic Genealogy Resources
Special Challenges
African-American Genealogy
AfriGeneas
Africana Heritage
More Good Resources
Arab Genealogy
Australian Aborigines
Caribbean Genealogy
British Virgin Islands Genealogy
Creole/Cajun Genealogy
Cuban Genealogy
Doukhobors Genealogy
Gypsy, Romani, Romany, and Travellers Genealogy
Hmong Genealogy
Quaker and Huguenot Genealogy
Jewish Genealogy
Native American Genealogy
Metis Genealogy
Melungeon Genealogy
Wrapping Up
17 The National Genealogical Society
About the NGS
Educational Courses
Publications and Videos
Conferences and Events
Awards and Competitions
Calendar
My Account, My Orders, My Downloadable Products
Store
Wrapping Up
18 Ancestry.com and RootsWeb
Ancestry.com
Using Ancestry.com
RootsWeb
Digging in RootsWeb
Other Search Engines
Message Boards and Mailing Lists
Newsletters
Wrapping Up
19 Genealogical Publishing Houses and Their Sites
Publishing a Genealogy Book
Buying Genealogy Books
Avotaynu
Genealogical Publishing Company
Family Roots Publishing
Martin Genealogy Publishing
Heritage Books
BookLocker
Lulu.com
iUniverse.com
Smaller Publishers
Family Heritage Publishers
Modern Memoirs, Inc.
Shortrunbooks.com
Finding More
Wrapping Up
20 A Potpourri of Genealogy
Alexa.com Top 25 Genealogy Sites Early 2014
Golden Needles in the World Wide Haystack
Adoption
Beginners’ “Classes,” How-to Articles, Tips, Etc.
Blogging and Genealogy Blogs
Birth, Death, Marriage, and Other Records
DNA
Ethnic/National
Historical Background
Libraries
Maps, Geography, and More
Regional
Starting Places
Supplies, Books, Forms, and More
Wrapping Up
PART IV
Appendixes
A Genealogical Standards from the National Genealogical Society
Genealogical Standards
Standards for Sound Genealogical Research
Genealogical Standards
Guidelines for Using Records Repositories and Libraries
Genealogical Standards
Standards for Use of Technology in Genealogical Research
Genealogical Standards
Standards for Sharing Information with Others
Genealogical Standards
Guidelines for Publishing Web Pages on the Internet
Genealogical Standards
Guidelines for Genealogical Self-improvement and Growth
B How to Find a Professional Genealogist
Australia
Canada
England
France
Ireland
New Zealand
Scotland
Set Terms
Glossary
Index
Acknowledgments
As with any book, this one was made possible by those who helped and worked with me. First, I thank each and every person mentioned in this book. The people who graciously granted me interviews, sent me success stories, and shared their expertise with me made this book possible.
Special thanks go to all my genealogy friends on Facebook: Amy Coffin, Bill Ammons, Bill West, Cheryl Rothwell, Cyndi Ingle, Dick Eastman, Elizabeth Shown Mills, Elyse Doerflinger, Jeanne Henry, Judy G. Russell, Leland Meitzeler, Linda Mullikin of the FHGC in Navarre, Kay Rudolph, Lisa B. Lee, Liz Kelley Kerstens, Marian Pierre-Louis, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Michael John Neill, Myra Vanderpool Gormley, Pat Richley-Erickson, Randy Hooser, Roger Stewart, Romi White, Russ Worthington, Terry Morgan, Thomas MacEntee, and all the rest. Great thanks to all the staff at McGraw-Hill Education. And immense gratitude is due to all my family and friends who were so understanding while I was in “writing hibernation” and patiently waited for me to emerge.
Most of all, I want to thank my mother, Frances May Spencer Powell, who I know is collaring ancestors in heaven and recording their vital statistics!
Introduction
More than 20 years ago, my mother asked my brother and me, “This Internet thing you all are always talking about: Can it help me with my genealogy?”
My brother and I were already deep into online discussion groups about writing (me), archaeology (Bob), music, astronomy (both of us), and other topics.
Immediately after Mother asked, I knew two things: The answer was yes and I would have to write it all down for her. And that is how this book came to be.
Genealogy Online Page 1