Using Historical Records

The Internet makes locating historical records easier than in the past, but it will still take careful thought and digging to find what you want.

Think carefully about who might have the information you want and then explore what's available through the Rediscovering webpages, search engines, and website and online catalog compilers.
- Remember: historical records might be found at colleges, historical societies, county clerks’ offices, local historians' offices, business archives, or libraries .

Be aware that records on the same topic, geographic region, family, etc. may be located in several different places
- For example, for any one family there may be: naturalization records at a county clerk’s office; birth, death and marriage records at the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Records; baptism records at the family church; records documenting individual members' educational or employment histories at historical societies, manuscript repositories, or college archives.

Tips for researchers about using historical records.

Follow the links for Document-based questions and then browse through Course One to find out how to use historical records in the classroom.