Massachusetts Research Guide Digital Download

You'll love this if:

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

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

• a how-to article detailing Massachusetts' history and records, with helpful advice on tracking your family there
• the best websites, books and other resources for Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts guide:

• Gradually, Bay Staters spread across New England and the rest of the country. An estimated quarter of the US population has Massachusetts roots.
• Use the Massachusetts and Maine Direct Tax List of 1798 to substitute for the incomplete 1800 federal census.
• As in other New England states, you'll find most Massachusetts records on the town level, not in county offices. Birth, marriage and death records date from the colony's founding.

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.