| Genealogy is the study of who is in a family and | | | | description. You may also look for help from the |
| whom they are related to. The more general | | | | thousands of genealogical societies around the |
| study of family history will also try to determine | | | | world. These societies are generally focused on a |
| important information about their lives and deaths | | | | particular surname, geographic area, or ethnicity. |
| such as dates of birth and death and employment | | | | Most of the people who work at these societies |
| records. Genealogy has existed since ancient | | | | are volunteers. These societies have large |
| times. Genealogical information was originally | | | | amounts of genealogy material. They may also |
| transmitted orally and later, through written | | | | publish a newsletter, provide research assistance |
| records. Genealogy was vital in determining the | | | | to the public and offer classes in genealogy. There |
| ancestry of rulers and nobles. Detailed genealogical | | | | are two other useful genealogical resources: |
| records ensured that the passing down of titles | | | | International Genealogical Index (IGL) and DNA |
| would be done without error. Genealogists helped | | | | analysis. |
| people displaced by World War II find family | | | | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |
| members who remained in Europe. Many Irish | | | | copied most of their available genealogical records |
| families used genealogical records to help | | | | onto microfilm. An important part of the Mormon |
| rediscover family members that have been | | | | faith is tracing their family history, so there are a |
| separated for two or three generations since their | | | | lot of records. This resulted in the creation of the |
| families emigrated from Ireland. James Dent | | | | IGL. The IGL contains hundreds of millions of |
| Walker founded the Afro-American Historical and | | | | records of people that lived between the 1500s |
| Genealogical Society in 1977. He aided Alex Haley | | | | and 1870s. These records can be viewed at the |
| with his book Roots. This book inspired many | | | | Family History Library, which is their main library, |
| African Americans to search for their ancestors. | | | | in Salt Lake City, Utah. They can also be viewed |
| Major events in a person's life are usually | | | | at the more than 4,000 Family History Centers |
| recorded and stored at a local, regional or national | | | | located near their churches. If you prefer the |
| office. Genealogists locate these records and use | | | | Internet, then you can view the IGL as well as |
| them to determine family relationships and | | | | the Ancestral File, 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Social |
| recreate timelines. Genealogists generally start | | | | Security Death Index, Salt Lake City Library |
| from the present and work backward in time. | | | | Catalog and some American Army Indexes to |
| Genealogists may also conduct interviews with | | | | those who died in the Korean and Vietnam wars |
| living relatives to determine the same information. | | | | on the website FamilySearch. This is especially |
| The success of a genealogist may depend on the | | | | useful because you can do multiple searches for |
| volunteer efforts of complete strangers. There | | | | names, parishes, dates, etc. |
| are many helpful message boards that will help | | | | DNA analysis has proven to be useful to the field |
| you find people with particular surnames or who | | | | of genealogy because the DNA from your earliest |
| lived in a particular region. Many genealogists | | | | ancestors will be passed down relatively |
| contribute their free time and participate in | | | | unchanged. A genealogical DNA test can estimate |
| projects such as preparing name indexes for | | | | the probability that two people are related. The |
| records and placing them online. Other | | | | Molecular Genealogy Research Project is a |
| genealogists can then use the name indexes to | | | | collection of genetic test results that will be used |
| find these records. There are other projects that | | | | to match people descended from a direct |
| transcribe records so that genealogists can find | | | | ancestor. The Genographic Project is a collection |
| records based on something other than a name. | | | | of results that can be used to trace human |
| For example, there are projects that transcribe | | | | migratory patterns and to determine |
| deeds, which allows for searches by land | | | | biogeographical and ethnic origin. |