Starting Genealogy Research Back to the Founding Era

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 from.

Step 2: Interview Relatives

Older relatives often know names, places and dates that no single record holds. Ask open questions, record the answers with permission, and write down who said what.

Step 3: Use the Federal Census

The federal census has been taken every ten years since 1790. Records are released to the public 72 years after each count, so the 1950 census is the most recent available. Keep in mind:

• The 1790 through 1840 censuses name only the head of household. Others are counted by age group.

• The 1850 census is the first to list every free person in a household by name.

• The 1890 census was largely destroyed by fire.

The National Archives census page explains how to search these records.

Step 4: Add Vital, Church and Land Records

Before statewide birth and death registration, families appear in church baptisms, marriages and burials, in county deeds and wills, and in probate files. These records often name children, spouses and in-laws, which helps connect generations.

Step 5: Look for Military and Pension Records

Revolutionary War service and pension files, held by the National Archives, can contain detailed family statements, especially applications made by widows. Many have been indexed online.

Step 6: Use Free Databases and Lineage Societies

• FamilySearch offers free access to a large collection of indexed records after you create a free account.

• The Daughters of the American Revolution provides research resources, including its Genealogical Research System, covering Revolutionary War patriots and their descendants.

Step 7: Record Your Sources

For every fact, record the source, its date and where you found it. When two records disagree, note both and look for a third. A well-documented tree is one others can rely on and build upon.

Practical Tips

• Spellings of names changed often. Search variations.

• County and state boundaries moved. Check which county held jurisdiction in the year you are researching.

• Work one generation at a time and confirm each link before moving back.