All NY Counties

The records of the United States Sanitary Commission, recently reprocessed by The New York Public Library, are a vast and newly accessible resource for Civil War era family history research.

Birth, marriage, and death records offer important clues to anyone researching their family history. These vital records can provide dates, relationships, and other essential details to your research.

Dates are fundamental to genealogy — and it is fundamental that genealogists estimate them properly, and use them correctly in their writing.

An often overlooked resource for early American family research are court records. One manuscript collection of note is “New York City and New York State Legal Documents from the 18th and 19th Centuries.”

Probate records, detailing the settlement of the estates of deceased New Yorkers, are one of the state's most valuable genealogical sources. In May 1787 the state established the present system of Surrogate’s Courts, one in each county.

Have you had the chance to sit down with your relatives and capture their knowledge of the family?

Our Online Records Platform features religious records—including birth, marriage, and death records—from over 120 congregations across New York State. 

Vital records—records of birth, marriage, and death events—are some of the most important records to pursue when piecing together your family history.

If you haven’t searched for your ancestors in historical newspapers, now is an excellent time to start: It’s easier than ever to find and access historical newspapers, and they can hold some amazing - and quite surprising - information.