The American Ancestors manuscript collection holds the largest amount of genealogical material in the country. This guide is an easy means to identify which of the over 5,500 entries have relevant individual bible records, diaries, account books, research notes, and more. This 600+ page guide directs family historians to an unprecedented wealth of resources — most available nowhere except the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department at the Society.

Author: Kendra Field

Published: 2018

Hardcover, 225 pages

Bill Griffeth, longtime genealogy buff, takes a DNA test that has an unexpected outcome: "If the results were correct, it meant that the family I had spent years documenting was not my own." Bill undertakes a quest to solve the mystery of his origins, a quest which will shake his sense of identity. As he takes us on his journey, we learn about choices made by his ancestors, parents, and others--and we see Bill measure and weigh his own difficult choices as he confronts the past.

Simple steps and expert tips for researching Mayflower ancestors. 

By Lindsay Fulton and Christopher C. Child, American Ancestors Experts

Published by American Ancestors in April 2020

8 ½ x 11 laminated, 4 pages

The 1850 census marks the first time every person in the household was enumerated by name. It also recorded such factors as immigration, education, income, and ethnicity, providing researchers with in depth information about ancestors. This updated guide provides background on the 1850–1950 U.S. Federal Census tabulation process, exp

This item ships separately, directly from the publisher. Please allow an addition 1-3 weeks to receive this title.

By Frank J. Doherty

Published April 2015

Hardcover, 1,173 pages

The major part of this book (over 560 pages) is devoted to the many Smith families in the Hudson Valley, New York. Other families included are Snedeker, Snyder, Soper, Soule (including new information on the Mayflower Soules of Dutchess County), Southwick, Southworth, and Spaulding.

Author: Lindsay Fulton

Providing only the name of the head of household, the 1790–1840 censuses are often overlooked by researchers because they lack the names of the other household residents. Nevertheless, these “Head of Household” census records can provide information about your ancestors and their extended family.

This guide provides background on the 1790–1840 U.S. Federal Census tabulation process, surviving records, enumeration questions (by year), as well as hints for using the census to break down brick walls.

Learn how to get the most from these family-oriented records that include will or administration documents, legal name changes, divorce records, guardianships or conservatorships, and unsealed adoption records. Includes explanations of important terms, descriptions of the steps in the probate process, and how to locate and view paper and digitized records.

By Tricia Healy Mitchell

Published: April 2019 

8 ½ x 11 laminated, 4 pages

This indispensable guide helps you get the most out of sacramental records, such as the Boston Archdiocese parish records now available at AmericanAncestors.org. Also includes how to locate and access non-sacramental records and an overview of research strategies for finding your Catholic ancestors.

The four-page laminated guide can fit easily in your research binder.

By Jeanne Belmonte

Learn about print and electronic resources covering various groups who settled Pennsylvania: Mennonite, Quaker, Scots Irish, Dutch, and settlers from other European countries and elsewhere in the United States.

The four-page laminated guide can fit easily in your research binder.

By Ann Lawthers