FCC Research Guides: ENGL 102 First Person Family History Narrative Assignment Guide: Research Resources

Research Resources

US Government Genealogy Resources

National Archives Census Records
Census records can provide the building blocks of your research, allowing you both to confirm information and learn more.
National Archives Ethnic Heritage Research
Resources for finding historical documents and vital records for African, Hispanic, Chinese, Japanese, and Native, Americans.

Genealogy & Immigration Record Websites

Ellis Island Records
Free registration allows viewing of complete records.
FamilySearch (LDS)
Includes several databases and services. The main search is newly designed. Also recommended: International Genealogical Index(IGI) index of birth and marriage registers from all over the world submitted by volunteers who transcribed information from the microfilms of original records
Research Guides for Ship Passenger Lists and Immigration Records
Focuses on providing guidance and links to records for passenger lists from about 1820 to the early 1950s. It includes suggestions for finding records for ports of arrival and immigration records.

Frederick County Public Library (FCPL) Genealogy Databases

To access FCPL resources you must have an FCPL Library Card number. Anyone with a Maryland Address can apply for a temporary digital card for immediate access. Follow the directions located on the Apply for an FCPL Library Card page. Temporary cards are active until June 1, 2020.

Ancestry Library Edition
Available from the Frederick County Public Library (allowing in-home use for a limited time). If you do not have a Frederick County Public Library Card – follow the directions on their website. Access to several thousand records databases, including the U.S. Federal Census, and the Social Security Death Index. International in scope.
Heritage Quest
Available from the Frederick County Public Library (allowing in-home use for a limited time). If you do not have a Frederick County Public Library Card – follow the directions on their website. Full page-image family and local histories, census documents, and other primary source materials. Includes the PERSI database of genealogy and local history periodicals.

Citing Sources

About Citing Sources and Plagiarism

For guidance on what and when to cite and what citations mean and what they contain, See the library's Plagiarism Prevention guide.

Basic Guidelines for Citing Genealogy Records in MLA Format

When citing records, treat the issuing agency as the author. The source’s title is the name of the item in which a record was found. Assuming the record was found in a database such as FamilySearch, or Ancestry, treat that as the container for the source, and if no publication date is given use the copyright dates of the website. For example, if you found a marriage certificate in an index of marriage certificates issued by New York City, covering 1907 through 1995 on Ancestry.com you would cite it like this:

In text:
According to documents, Obvious Fakename was married in 1922 (New York City).

Works Cited:
New York City, Marriage Indexes, 1907-1995. Ancestry, 1997-2020. www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/xxxxxxx/
person/xxxxxxxx/facts

[Adapted from https://style.mla.org/citing-documents-genealogy-sites/]