Who Do You Think You Are? The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780670021635
• ISBN10: 0670021636
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-03-04
• Publisher: Viking Adult

Summary

There is no such thing as an ordinary family. Each one has its own stories: the black sheep, the Civil War hero, the ancestors who fled to the United States, or the lost family fortune. No matter how plain you think your background is, chances are there is a saga just waiting to be discovered. The ground-breaking NBC series Who Do You Think You Are? takes seven of America's best-loved celebrities-from Lisa Kudrow to Susan Sarandon-on an emotional journey to trace their family history and discover who they really are. The revelations are sometimes shocking, sometimes heartbreaking, and always fascinating. With the Who Do You Think You Are? companion guide, you will learn how to chart your own journey into your past and discover the treasures hidden in your family tree. Featuring step-by-step instructions from one of America's top genealogical researchers, Who Do You Think You Are? covers everything a beginner needs to know to start digging into their roots, including: * Full-color profiles of the celebrities' surprising revelations * Starting the search-it's as easy as pulling out the old family photos * Census information-where to find it and how to use it * What birth, death, and marriage certificates have to tell us * How to track down immigration and military documents * The latest breakthroughs in DNA testing * The best online resources to conduct your searches, and store your newfound discoveries to share with family and save for future generations It has never been easier to bring your family history to life. You will be amazed at how much there is to discover!

Author Biography

Wall to Wall Media is one of the world's leading producers of factual and drama programming. Now in their twenty-first year, they have won many major awards including an Emmy for Baby It's You and an Oscar for the feature documentary Man on Wire. Theya re the producers of the multi-award winning television series Who Do You Think You Are?

Megan Smolenyak is the chief family historian and spokesperson for Ancestry.com, the largest genealogical company in the world. She has consulted for and appeared on Good Morning America, the Today show, CNN, NPR, and the BBC. She has written articles for numerous ancestry and genealogy publications.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. xi
Preparing for Your Ancestor Hunt	p. 1
Webbing it: What's Online?	p. 25
Learning to Love the Census	p. 55
Vitally Important: Births, Marriages, and Deaths	p. 79
Marching Orders: Did Your Ancestors Serve?	p. 101
Crossing the Pond: Old Country Roots	p. 125
The Best of the Rest	p. 151
Sleuthing in Action	p. 169
Pass It On	p. 187
Appendix	p. 201
Permissions and Acknowledgments	p. 203
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.