But how do you start? The first and best advice for the beginning family historian is start with what you know and work backwards. Don’t begin with Michelangelo (or Mussolini) and try to connect yourself to them. Instead, write down all the information you’re sure of. For most people, this would include your own birth information and that of your parents. You probably also know—or can easily find out—your grandparents’ data. After that, it gets interesting.
Two of the best documents for family research are birth and death certificates. In the USA, these are generally maintained by state departments of vital records. These certificates frequently collected important data like a person’s town of birth (very useful for pinpointing European origins), occupation, and mother’s and father’s names and places of birth. Some states will only provide copies of these records to direct family members, so always mention your relationship to the named person. If you know — or can locate — old churches in the cities where your ancestors lived, they’re also a potential source for information.
Probably the best genealogical site on the Internet is Cyndi’s List. Cyndi is just a gal who started a little genealogy web page—and it grew and grew. It now contains almost 100,000 links. Through her state-by-state links, you can find out where to write for American vital records and how much to send per document. There are also links to European genealogy sites and other family history organizations.
Another megasite is the Mormons’ (Church of Latter Day Saints) FamilySearch page, which links you to articles on family research and also a catalog of the organization’s enormous genealogy collection. If you find something you’re interested in, you can request that the book, microfilm, etc. be sent to your local LDS center. Note: their records cover all faiths, and anyone can use their local libraries.
POINT (Pursuing Our Italian Names Together) and its related electronic mailing list PIE are devoted exclusively to Italian heritage. If you’re not a dues-paying member, the most useful section is the PIE online archive which includes articles like “Italian Research Notes” and form letters for obtaining birth records from Italy. There are also TONS of genealogy message/bulletin boards on the ‘Net. Post your family names everywhere you can, and you may soon find long-lost cousins and other family history.
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