The National Records Management Program’s RACO blog, which paved the way for all other National Archives social media projects back in the spring of 2009 has been reborn as Records Express, the official blog of the National Records Management Program (NRMP) at the National Archives! The new blog will be a forum for all things records management-related at NARA, “from talking about new ERM policy and guidance to soliciting advice and feedback from you, the wider Federal Records Community (inside and outside the government)”. Drop by, say hello, and get involved at http://blogs.archives.gov/records-express/.
How do I begin a family tree of my Grandpartes? Grandma from Round Valley Rancheria & Grandpa from Big Valley. Any guidance will be greatly appredciated, Cecilya
Hi Cecilia,
The easiest way to get started is by using US census records. We have census records from 1790 to 1930. I’d start with the latest and work backwards. If you know their names, dates of birth and death, and you have an idea of where they were living, you should be able to find something. See our website for more information about the census records.
There are a number of ways you can look at census records. You can use microfilm at our research facilities, or you can use one of the various online services such as Ancestry.com or Heritagequestonline.com. These are subscription sites, but we provide access at our facilities. Many public libraries also provide these sites, so you should check with your local library.
I hope this helps get you started! If you have any questions, you can contact us at inquire@nara.gov
– Katherine