The process of buying land could be long and involved, which means lots of records were created along the way. Land grants, land warrants, and survey reports are all examples of records that you can use to find out more about an ancestor and where they lived.
The military has a long history of keeping records on soldiers, records that can be valuable when researching family history. Many military records are available to the public, including some dating back to the Revolutionary War. Important records include lists of veterans compiled by states in the early 19th century, pension applications, and the 1840 US Federal Census Population Schedule.
Sometimes it is useful to begin your research with an ancestor's death, as the date and place of death can be easier to verify than than those of the birth. The death certificate will often provide additional information such as date of birth and names of family members. A number of other records can also provide important clues to an ancestor's death. Examples include obituaries, gravestones, and funeral home invoices. If you can determine where they died, a visit to the funeral home or cemetery that handled the final arrangements could yield a treasure trove of information.
Archives hold a treasure trove of primary source material that could be useful to your research. Letters, military records, land records, and photographs are just some of the resoures you may find.
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Religious records not only provide interesting insight to your ancestors, but they can give you clues to help find other records. For example, church marriage records may list the ages of the couple, the bride's maiden name, and the couple's parents. Other helpful records include church bulletins, bar mitzvah announcements, membership rolls, and baptism records.
