Destination America . Your Genealogy

Curious about your ancestors' immigrant stories? Doing research on the immigrant experience? Below are a handful of genealogical resources—records archives, databases and bulletin boards—to help your search.

PBS Genealogy Programs:

PBS: American Family
The family tool on the American Family site allows visitors to create a family tree of their family history by including answers to questions about where and when family members were born, what their interests are, what moments have shaped them, and many others.

PBS: History Detectives: Genealogy
A step-by-step guide to genealogical research, this site also offers advice on records searches and on other subjects such as interviewing techniques for oral histories.

USGenWeb
This site links to Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States.

RootsWeb.com
This site features a collection of links to databases and message boards to connect people and facilitate the sharing of genealogical research.

Ancestry.com
A subscription-based U.S. census and genealogy site with information on a range of records: census, military, immigration, court and probate.

EllisIsland.org
This site is helpful for researching family who have passed through Ellis Island. The site features free downloadable documents that you can print, copy, and share freely with others as you organize your research: multi-generation Pedigree Charts, Family Group Sheets, and searchable archives of all the passengers who arrived through Ellis Island from 1892-1924.

National Genealogical Society
A non-profit organization providing genealogical skill development through education, information, publications, research assistance, and networking opportunities

National Archives -- Family Historians The National Archives offers records from every branch of the Federal government. Key is knowing how an ancestor interacted with the government.

The Ships List
The Ships List website allows you find your ancestors on ships' passenger lists. It has immigration reports, newspaper records, shipwreck information, ship pictures, ship descriptions, shipping-line fleet lists and more; as well as hundreds of passenger lists to Canada, USA, Australia and South Africa

Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
A free database of more than 7,000 individual immigrant ship passenger manifests.

MyTrees.com
Free access to genealogy records, including cemetery, census, military, and Native American records.

Association of Professional Genealogists
The Association of Professional Genealogists has over 1,500 members throughout the USA, Canada, and twenty other countries around the world. Use their online member directory to locate specialists who construct family histories, translate documents, give seminars, and numerous other services.

Genealogy.com
Subscription-based Family Tree Maker and genealogy records

Sources: Immigrants on ship-Courtesy National Park Service, Series: Destination America