The first thing to do is interviewing your family members who might know something about your
ancestors that has been passed down from one generation to the other and gathering all the information
available both documentary (family bibles, photographs, certificates, letters, diaries, deeds, perhaps -
or a passport) and oral (family stories and memories).
"‡It all started back in the early 1960's, when I first questioned my mother about my grandparents and
other family members. It was then that I learned of my grandparents' names.
I started to write a family history based on the age of my maternal grandfather's year of birth,
1846..." (L.S.)
This sounds pretty obvious, but it is not.
Sometimes, a distant relative can be an extremely rich source of information that you would have
never expected.
FREE TIP: To learn how to organize this information, visit my Academy.
Pier Felice degli Uberti tells you how to build your Family History Archive.
The second thing to do is to research your local sources that may contain the information you need:
Ships' Passenger lists related to the period ranging from 1891 to 1954 do contain
information on the birthplace.
Declaration of Intention papers after 1906 may include birth date and birthplace.
Military records: World War I registrations do contain information on the birthplace
Social Security Number Application (SS-5) if died after 1962. It contains information
about the ancestor's date of birth, birthplace, father's name, mother's name, and
more.
Passport applications include date of the birth and birthplace of the immigrant.
