Alabama Research Guide Digital Download

You'll love this if:

• You're getting started tracing your ancestors in Alabama
• You want new ideas and resources to get past a Alabama brick wall
• Your genealogy search is focused mainly on Alabama — you don't need the full State Research Guides collection

Trace your Alabama ancestors with the advice and resources in our State Research Guide! This four-page download includes:

• a how-to article detailing Alabama's history and records, with helpful advice on
• the best websites, books and other resources for Alabama research, handpicked by our editors and experts
• listings of key libraries, archives and organizations that hold the records you need
• descriptions of the top historic sites for learning about your ancestors' lives and times, including visitor information
• timeline of key events in the state's history
• full-color map to put your research in geographical context

Here's a sampling of the helpful tips you'll get in the Alabama guide:

• Others had previously discovered ”alluring Alabama,“ of course. The Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Creek tribes were already there when the French established the first permanent white settlement in 1702, near today's Mobile. Colonial censuses of French settlements taken in 1706, 1721 and 1725 were published in the Deep South Genealogical Quarterly (volume 1, issues 1, 2 and 3), available at the Family History Library and other large genealogical libraries.
• Like many Southern states, Alabama adopted statewide registration of vital records relatively late. Counties were required to record births and deaths beginning in 1881.
• The Civil War remained a vivid memory for Alabamians many of whom referred to the conflict as ”the War Between the States.“ Fortunately for you, the conflict produced as many records as it did memories.

Plus, each guide contains active web links for one-click access to every recommended online resource. You can view this PDF on your computer and print pages for reference.