LibGuides: Genealogical Research: Genealogical Sources

Sites with Multiple Types of Records

HeritageQuest Online This link opens in a new window
This is an excellent starting point! HeritageQuest Online includes genealogical records and historical source materials. Popular U.S. searches include federal census records from 1790-1950, city directories from 1821-1989, grave and cemetery directories, court documents, maps, and military records. Selected international records include immigration documents, censuses, and gravesites.

Genealogical Resources @ National Archives (Boston)
List of available resources at the National Archives' Waltham location. Some are searchable online; some are on-site only.
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Collections include (but are not limited to):
-Court records for those who applied for citizenship in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, & VT.
-Passenger arrival lists for several ports.
-Customs records.
-Military records dating back to the Revolutionary War.
-Chinese Exclusion Act case files for Boston & Montreal.
-Records related to African-American families.
-Native American records.
Genealogy/Personal History Records from National Archives
Search for records including military, census, land claims, bankruptcy, and passport applications.
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Some of the archival databases include:
- Russians to America (19th century)
- Irish famine-era
- Germans to America (19th century)
- Italians to America (19th century)
- WWII enlistment records, WWII Prisoners of War, and records pertaining to Japanese-Americans during WWII
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Gorgas Hospital Mortuary Records
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
This directory contains both official and unofficial sources of information. Use caution when using information from these websites. There is a lot of specific information on how to find records in other countries.

New York Times Historical 1851-2020 (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Free access through Bentley Library!
Search the New York Times from 1851 to 2016. Consider searching by a person's name, or browsing on a certain date.

How to Search Census Records (NARA)
NARA offers different ways to search census records, some offline and some online.
Cyndi's List: Census - Worldwide
Links to censuses in other countries.

Where to Write for Vital Records
Information about every state and U.S. territory's process and policies for obtaining copies of vital records - and links to where more information can be found.
Family Search - Ancestral File
Includes vital records from other countries. Please click the "i" icon for important information. ALSO: Check out the "Family History Library" links. From Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
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"Ancestral File is a collection of genealogical information taken from Pedigree Charts and Family Group Records submitted to the Family History Department since 1978. The information has not been verified against any official records. Since the information in Ancestral File is contributed, it is the responsibility of those who use the file to verify its accuracy."
MA Births, Marriages, & Deaths 1841-1910
Search an online database of vital records from the Massachusetts Archives. Be sure to read the instructions.