Knowing one’s ancestral history can play a major role in understanding one’s roots and family. The study of ancestry is referred to as genealogy. Local records, including death certificates, obituaries, and military records, are usually maintained by state, county, or town agencies. The records can be used for the census, military purposes, land ownership, and immigration, among other reasons. There are many types of records, and one can find various ways to track their ancestry.

Types of ancestry records
Genealogy research is vast, so it is best to handle one set of records at a time to stay focused and organized and move toward understanding one’s history. Here are the 4 common types of records one consider starting with:

Census records
Census records are maintained by the government to make informed decisions in the fields of education, health, housing, transportation, and more. The country records census every decade, a process which was started in 1790. So, it’s likely that one may find ancestors in records dating back several years. The ancestry records indicate family relationships, household information related to birth and death, location and occupations of the family over the years. Learning this information can help one to get a clearer picture of family history.

Birth records
Considered to be the primary source, birth records are trustworthy and may include information regarding one’s place of birth, race, and their parents’ names and occupation. The vital statistics offices in the states or regions where one was born usually track and register birth records.

Death records
One can draw a clear timeline of a family using death records. It is preferable to start the research with these documents and work backward, as they are the most current records pertaining to one’s ancestors.

Marriage records
The next step one can take is to trace the marriage records of their ancestors. Apart from the local, county, and town governments, institutes like churches, military organizations, and newspapers can also maintain these records. One can expect to find the names of couples, including the bride’s maiden name, their parents, ages, witnesses, occupations, and place of residence. Marriage records can give detailed information not just about the couple but also about their immediate family members. Some common types of marriage records include the following:

• Banns of marriage, which records the public announcement of intended marriage in Christian Parish church
• Marriage bonds, which are written guarantees of payments made by both the parties
• Marriage certificate, which are held by the concerned families
• Returns and registers, which are usually written in a book by a minister or justice of the peace

Divorce and remarriage records
Considering the mortality rate in the past, there is a high chance that one’s ancestors remarried. Records on divorce or remarriage in colonial court or state legislature can help one track the number and names of the children, property held, and ages of the concerned parties.

Best places to find records
Online genealogy websites
Many websites have digitized records for easy and quick access. While some platforms offer records for free, others may charge a fee. One can find birth and baptism records for free on familysearch.org and other sites like Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, and AmericanAncestors. One can also check out FamilyTreeDNA, Ancestry DNA, 23andMe, HomeDNA, and LivingDNA websites that offer a comprehensive database of ancestry records and DNA tests for different prices.

City and county offices
Most birth records can be found in the database of local county or city offices. Some may also be available at probate court, orphan’s court, or county clerk’s office. One can contact the office, confirm the address, and then mail a request and make a payment to access the records.

State vital records office or health department
The Department of Health or the local Office of Vital Records maintains birth-related documents. One may also find the state census, marriage records, and Native American records in the state archives. State offices put up their request policies, restrictions, and fees on their website and can be approached by email request.

Social Security records
One can get the social security documents on Ancestry.com or FamilySearch to find information about those who died between 1962 and 2014. The Social Security records can reveal information like the person’s full name, birth and death details, parents’ names, and even signature.

Cemeteries
One can either visit an ancestor’s tombstone or check out websites like Find a Grave and BillionGraves to get photos and transcriptions regarding a person’s death year and age.

National Archives and Records Administration
Census data between 1790 and 1940, military records from the Revolutionary War, and many other details can be held by the National Archives and Records Administration.

PERiodical Source Index (PERSI)
One can check out the PERSI index on the genealogy center website to find ethnic, genealogical, and historical periodical publications.

Land records
Accessing ancestry land records available on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) site or Ancestry.com is another way to trace one’s family history.