MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT MUSEUM
AND RESEARCH CENTER
RESEARCH LIBRARY
110 Pequot Trail
Mashantucket, Connecticut
06338
860-396-6897
Researching
Family History
If you are visiting the
Research Library in an effort to learn more about yourself and your family history,
we would like to be of assistance.
We are not a genealogical
library, which means that we do not have the records necessary for you to
complete a search of your ancestry. We
do, however, have some material to assist you as you begin what could be a very
interesting and rewarding process.
The Genealogy Area
in the Research Library Reading Room has the following resources:
General Guides:
- Ancestry’s Red Book: American State,
County and Town Sources.
The historical background and a
detailed listing of resources available from each of the fifty states plus the District of Columbia
make this book invaluable for those conducting family research.
- Black Roots in Southeastern
Connecticut, 1650-1900.
In 1774, southeastern Connecticut was one of the largest slaveholding sections
of New England. Because of that, the people brought here
formed the many families that have originated in this area. This material is arranged alphabetically by
surname or by given name when a surname is unknown.
- The Gale Encyclopedia of Native
American Tribes
This material will introduce you to
the history and culture of various Native American tribes throughout the United States and Canada.
- The Genealogist’s Address Book
This is an invaluable source of information for national and state addresses and
includes contact information for
ethnic and religious organizations.
Since contact information is
subject to frequent change, it is advisable to use the most current available
edition of this book.
- List of the Research Library holdings of
federal census, land records or vital records in Connecticut and Rhode
Island. We do not have a
complete set of records for every county in Connecticut
and Rhode Island.
Our census records are not indexed.
- Native
American Genealogical Sourcebook
This convenient guide includes all
the information required to begin
genealogical research for those of Native, Asian, African or Hispanic American
heritage. You will not be able to locate this book easily in your local area,
so we strongly suggest that you review this source before leaving the Research Library.
This material has been compiled by
the staff of the Mashantucket Pequot Research Library. The information
has been collected from various sources about the tribes historically and
currently located in Connecticut.
- The Reference Encyclopedia of the
American Indian
and
First Nations Tribal Directory
and
www.Indians.org
According to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, “Tribal enrollment criteria are set forth in tribal constitutions,
articles of incorporation or ordinances.
The criterion varies from tribe to tribe, so uniform membership
requirements do not exist.”
Once you have completed your
genealogical research and you know the tribe of your ancestor, then you are
ready to contact the tribe directly and inquire about enrollment criteria. The two books mentioned above and the website
will help locate contact information
for many tribes in the United States
and Canada.
- Searching For Your Ancestors: The How
and Why of Genealogy
Constructed in a historically
informative framework, this text covers the methods of searching for family
history in a variety of locations. It
also addresses the needs of those with family whose heritage originated
overseas or within the Native American, Canadian, Puerto Rican, Mexican and Cuba
communities.
- Shaking Your Family Tree: A Basic
Guide to Tracing Your Family’s Genealogy
This book is a basic guide to
libraries and archives and other public and private depositories that contain
useful genealogical information.
- Shaking Your Family Tree: A Basic
Guide to Tracing Your Family’s Genealogy Workbook
This is an excellent workbook for
the beginning researcher. It illustrates
and explains the basic forms needed for efficiently recording your research and
provides blank forms for your use.
- The Source: A Guidebook of American
Genealogy
Known as the “bible of genealogy,”
this is an essential research aid meant for use by those who are just beginning
their research as well as by experienced researchers.
Computers and Internet
This database contains indexed
census records, books of family and local histories, genealogy and local
history articles, revolutionary war records and the records of the Freedman’s
Bank for African Americans. Using our patron computers for internet access, go
to www.iconn.org. Click
on “Links to Individual Databases.” Locate and click on HeritageQuest
ONLINE.
- Tribal Nations: For more information about specific tribal nations, use
our patron computers for internet access and go to www.nativeculture.com. Click on Lisa Mitten’s Native American
Sites.
- Virtual Roots: A Guide to Genealogy and
Local History on the World Wide Web
This guide is a detailed directory of
hundreds of the best genealogical and local history sites on the Internet
divided into General, United States and International
sources.
Local, Regional, State and Federal Organizations
- Connecticut State Library
231 Capital Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
(860)757-6580
http://www.cslib.org
- Connecticut
Historical Societies and Museums
http://www.lib.uconn.edu/online/research/govtinfo/ConnState/connhistsoc.html
- Connecticut
Genealogical Societies
http://www.cslib.org/genesoc.htm
- Indian
and Colonial
Research Center
PO Box 525
Old Mystic, Connecticut 06372
(860)536-9771
- New England Historic Genealogical Society Library
99-101 Newbury Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116-3087
(617)536-5740
http://www.newenglandancestors.org/
- National
Archives Northeast Region (Pittsfield,
MA)
10 Conte Drive
Pittsfield, MA 01201-8230
(413)445-6885
http://www.archives.gov/northeast
The Research Library has a guide to
the noncurrent Federal records available for research
at the National Archives – New England
Region. These records date from 1789 to
1987 and do not exist elsewhere in their original form. For access to this guide, please see the
Librarian.
- Family
History Centers in Connecticut
http://www.genhomepage.com/FHC/Connecticut.html
- Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
www.familysearch.org
WHERE DO I BEGIN?
First Step
Begin with yourself and work backwards. Fill in as much information on a Pedigree Chart as you can. Fill in as much of this information
as you can about yourself, then your parents, and then your grandparents. You may download a Pedigree Chart for your
own use from several sites on the web including Ancestry.com and
HeritageQuest.com. Your family members might
have records of birth, death or marriage, so be sure to question them before
you look for other sources of information.
Second Step
Pick the first ancestor from this Pedigree Chart whose information is incomplete.
This is where you begin your research. You will need to know when and where this
person was born, married and died.
Usually people begin looking for the date and location of death before
they look for marriage and birth information. Again, your extended family might have some
of the records that you need.
Third Step
To help you locate the information
you need about a particular ancestor, his birthdate
for example, we recommend that you consult The
Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. This will help you focus on the
resources that will be most helpful in locating a birth record. There are a variety of records and resources
available that could be of assistance. Decide on the most appropriate resource
and find where it is located. After consulting the resource and with luck finding
the information you were seeking,
you can move on to the next question about this ancestor.
This is a simple process, but can be time consuming and
difficult depending on the availability of the information
that you need. If you do not want to
complete the research yourself, you can hire a genealogist to do the work for
you. The following groups can be of
assistance in that regard:
The Association of
Professional Genealogists
PO Box 40393
Denver, Colorado 80204-0393
http://www.apgen.org/
Board of
Certification of Genealogists
PO Box 14291
Washington, D.C. 20044
http://www.bcgcertification.org/
Good luck in your search!