Write down your own name, birth date, place of birth, parents, husband or wife if married, date of marriage, place of marriage, children's complete names and their dates of birth. After you do your own family, do your parents, grandparents and so on.

The family tree will give you a clear perspective of what you know, who is related to whom and what you are missing for each individual. There are many software packages available to help you do a family tree but you can also do it in a simple spreadsheet or even draw it up by hand. Start with the basic details: names, dates and places and slowly add to it as you go along.

It’s worth analyzing certificates, old photos, letters and records as they can contain many helpful details. Look for dates, names and any other useful information. Don’t forget envelopes and inscriptions on backs of photos. Anything in your possession can contain clues: birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, naturalization certificates, army registrations, travel documents. Diaries, letters, correspondence of any sort and written records may also be useful. You will soon become an expert on reading between the lines, analyzing stamps, people’s clothing in the photos and other visual clues.

Your next stop is probably going to be in the Census Records. You can search these records in person at The National Archives in Washington, DC and in any of the subsidiaries of the Archives. The Census Index is done in a format called Soundex, so you will need to convert the surname you are researching to Soundex code before using the index. A good online Surname to Soundex Converter is available online. You will want to record your census data on a Census Worksheet and you can print worksheets from Family History Source Guide. A lot of Census Data is now online.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla.