America the Genealogical?

Why on earth would you want to focus your genealogical research on America? Is there really anything that could be gained by studying the United States and its history?

Many times, when we think about our genealogy, we think about researching certain ethnicities or in other countries; however, American genealogy should not be overlooked, particularly if your ancestors have lived in the United States for an extended period of time. No matter what, American genealogical resources can be beneficial to everyone, as we all reside within the United States. We also share a common history that can be important for understanding our past, present, and future.

This month, we have been displaying print items from the library’s genealogy collection, specifically the ones that relate to American genealogy. Many of the resources focus upon how particular ethnic groups settled in the United States or specific regions/cities. Resources about the Midwest/Chicago and areas east of the Mississippi are bountiful. Others focus on unique American genealogy records and research approaches. Visit Cook Park Library and explore them if you can.

For those who are newer to this avenue of genealogical research, Val Greenwood’s The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy is a great place to start. Greenwood accessibly introduces the common records and repositories for American genealogical research. For those who are looking to wade a little deeper, you may want to consider The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. There is also Frederick Virkus’ Compendium of American Genealogy which has seven volumes. This resource is great for locating ancestors and possibly learning more about them, as there are thousands of entries for specific people who have been identified in American records. (This includes additional immigrant information for them when appropriate.) By the way, this is available in print at the library and online via the Genealogy eBook Collection. Speaking of online resources, you may want to come to the library and search American Ancestors for additional possibilities. While you are at the library, check out The American Genealogist journal for additional great articles.

These are just a few promising resources, and they can help start your American genealogical research; however, they are only the tip of the iceberg. Like we learned from Maureen Brady at the Great Lake Genealogy program, understanding the common migration routes and paths that our ancestors took to traverse across the United States is another helpful way of understanding them and may even help with finding them when they seem lost or unlocatable. Likewise, local history resources and published regional histories can be a great help for understanding and locating our ancestors.

Ultimately, the key is start and keep digging deeper! Good luck and happy researching!