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Featured Article
Birds of Passage: Making Sense of Italian Ancestors Who Made Multiple Trips In and Out of America
Katelyn Rohlf
Of the over two million who came from Italy, in what is known as the Great Arrival, between 30 and 50 percent would return back home. What many are unfamiliar with is how and why almost half of these travelers never planned to stay in the United States in the first place.
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Essential Reading
Click on a category to see a list of our most essential guides for each topic.
Core Genealogy Methods
5 Guides
Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
5 Guides
Maps and Migration
4 Guides
Immigration and Naturalization
4 Guides
Religious Records
4 Guides
Article Archive
Post date: Monday, July 17, 2017
Subjects: Repositories
Since 2006, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society has been publishing a series of guides to notable New York State repositories in the New York Researcher. We have compiled all of these articles and listed each repository covered in this guide.
Post date: Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Subjects: Beginner Tips, Vital Records
Introduction to New York Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
Official birth, marriage, and death records—also called vital records—are crucial family history sources that every researcher should seek.
Post date: Monday, August 20, 2018
Subjects: Beginner Tips
The exploration of your own family history can be a fun and fulfilling pursuit. Your ancestry includes thousands of unique individuals whose stories tell fascinating tales. Below are some key building blocks to help you begin your family history as you explore this fascinating and rewarding activity.
Post date: Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Subjects: Census
Most researchers are familiar with using the "Population Schedules" of federal censuses from 1850 to 1880 - these records are some of the most widely used of all genealogical sources.
Post date: Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Subjects: Newspapers
The array of historical New York newspapers online is very extensive, which is excellent news for the New York family history researcher, because newspapers are crucial sources for genealogy.
Post date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Subjects: Cemetery
New York State contains a vast number of cemeteries, ranging from small family plots with only a handful of graves to the sprawling Calvary Cemetery in Queens, which contains over a million burials.
Post date: Friday, April 12, 2019
Subjects: Maps
Historical maps can provide valuable information to the genealogist or family historian that isn’t available anywhere else. Maps can reveal where people lived, the boundaries of their property, and who their neighbors were.