New York Research Guide Digital Download

You'll love this if…

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

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

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

• Most 18th-century New Yorkers were from New England, but several thousand Germans arrived in 1710. A small but vibrant cluster of Huguenots came in the late 1600s, and Scots-Irish filtered into the Lower Hudson Valley.
• You can search for passengers to Castle Garden (through 1890) and Ellis Island (1892 to 1924) free online.
• Continuous vital record-keeping started in 1880. Town clerks kept duplicate certificates and forwarded originals to the state capital in Albany.

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.