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Tracing a family line back to the founding era takes patience, but the method is simple: begin with what you know and work backward one generation at a time, confirming each link with records. Step 1: Start With Yourself Write down your own birth, marriage and residence details, then your parents' and grandparents'. Gather what the family already has: birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, obituaries, family Bibles, letters and photographs. Note where each fact came

This is the first in a series of plain-language summaries of the United States Constitution. Article I creates Congress and sets out what it may and may not do. The full text is available from the National Archives. Section 1: Legislative Power All federal lawmaking power granted by the Constitution belongs to Congress, which has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Section 2: The House of Representatives Members serve two-year terms and are chosen by the p