Other Internet Resources

Kimberly Powell’s Excellent genealogy blog on About.com is a great place to learn about new resources for your research. This week I’ve borrowed an idea from her and will discuss the 12 Days of Online Genealogy. Following is a list of websites I consult regularly (in many cases, daily) for research. This is my own personal list, in alphabetical, not preferential, order. You are likely to be familiar with most of these, but hopefully you will try at least one or two new ones.

1. America’s Historical Newspapers, 1690–1922
Created by Readex through partnership with the American Antiquarian Society, Library of Congress, and others, this database provides access to newspapers from around the country. A variety of search features make it easy to find pertinent results. Many public and private libraries offer access to this database, or you can subscribe individually as part of GenealogyBank.com.

2. Ancestry.com
Although subscriptions can be steep, Ancestry.com provides one of the largest collections of online data available anywhere for genealogical research. The new U.S. Passports database has provided me with a great deal of documentation for dates and places of birth for people born where no records of these events were kept. Well worth the price for the World Subscription, which gives you access to materials from Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Germany, and other locations.

3. Canadian Genealogy Centre
The Canadian Genealogy Centre includes all of the physical and electronic holding of Library and Archives Canada. Not only can you search records online, but you can discover more about what is (and is not) available at the national level in Canada.

4. EllisIsland.org
EllisIsland.org provides access to millions of passenger arrival records. Make sure you read the tips on basic and advanced searching to help you search (or use Steve Morse’s research tool). You can also find a great deal of historical information about the immigrant experience on this site.

5. FamilySearch.org
The Family History Library’s website provides access to vast amounts of information from around the world. Not only can you search databases for your ancestors, you can consult research guides to familiarize yourself with resources available in a new location. You can also search the Family History Library Catalog to find out which records are available on microfilm.

6. FindMyPast.com
Formerly 1837Online.com, FindMyPast.com is a commerical website that has a number of valuable databases, including the index to vital records, outgoing passenger lists, and military records for Great Britain.

7. Footnote.com
Footnote has developed a huge amount of information in a very short period of time. Their search mechanism is easy to use (and an advanced search interface is currently in beta testing). The images are easy to view and to download. Their collaboration features are impressive as well, and subscriptions are fairly inexpensive.

8. JSTOR
JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization that archives and provides access to important scholarly journals. They currently provide access to 773 titles. Unfortunately individual subscriptions are not currently available, but you can usually access JSTOR through a public or university library (often remotely).

9. NewEnglandAncestors.org
The hundreds of millions of names available through the research databases on the New England Historic Genealogical Society's website provide access to centuries of information on New England families. The Massachusetts Vital Records databases have search capabilities unavailable at other websites, and may allow you to find previously hidden information.

10. RootsWeb.com
Started by volunteers, RootsWeb is now part of The Generations Network, parent company of Ancestry.com. Volunteers are still continually adding new data to the site, which is available free of charge.

11. USGenWeb
Another volunteer-driven organization, www.USGenWeb.com has numerous projects going on. When searching the website, make sure you check the data in the archives and project sites as well as the individual county and state locations.

12. WorldVitalRecords.com
WorldVitalRecords is adding records faster than I can keep track. British parish registers, newspapers from around America, and Everton’s Online Library are only some of the materials available. You can join for a month for $5.95 to try it or take advantage of the current special — two years for $79.95.

Other Internet Resources

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