Scope

This Research Guide is intended to help students get started on researching their family histories. It includes information and resources which cover the historical reasons why different ethnic groups left their country of origin and emigrated to the United States. There are many published guides and handbooks available to assist beginning genealogists. A MadCat search should turn up a range of publications from which to choose. Students should also be aware that the Wisconsin Historical Society Library, located just across from College Library, is one of the best family history resources in the country.

Overview

Emigration/Immigration Resources

Facts About American Immigration
College Library Reference Collection: JV 6465 B73 2001

The Asian American Encyclopedia
College Library Reference Collection: E 184 O6 A827 1995

Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History
College Library Reference Collection: E 185 E54 1996
Refer to: "Africa" and "African-American Origins" in volume 1

Encyclopedia of American Immigration
College Library Reference Collection: JV 6465 E53 2001 volumes 1-4

Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America
College Library Reference Collection: E 184 A1 G14 1995

Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States
College Library Reference Collection: E 184 S75 H365 1993

Japanese American History: An A -Z Reference from 1868 to the Present
College Library Reference Collection: E 184 J3 J3355 1993
Refer to: "The Japanese in America" pages 1 - 23

A Nation of Peoples: a Sourcebook on America's Multicultural Heritage
College Library Reference Collection: E 184 A1 N2866 1999

Genealogy Resources

Beginning Your Family History
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/genealogy/beginners/
10 essential steps to take when beginning your family history (provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society).

A Crash Course in Genealogy
http://www.grl.com/AncestorsHowTo.aspx
The Family Research Library's overview of the most important sources for family history.

Five Steps to Getting Started on Your Family History
http://amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/pedigree.html
Simple and useful advise about how to get started from Treasure Maps: The How-to Genealogy Site.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

German and (immigration or emigration) and history
Ireland and famine and emigra*
Jew* and immigra* and United States and history
"African-American genealogy"
"Jewish genealogy"
"Hispanic genealogy"
genealogy and tips
"family history"

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

Biography and Genealogy Master Index 1976 - to date (updated annually)
Citations to more than 4 million current and historical persons are included in the Biography & Genealogy Master Index. Sources include more than 1000 English-language "who's who" type publications, including biographical dictionaries, handbooks, and directories. Name, birth and death dates, and source information are included for persons in all fields. Basic instructions for Biography and Genealogy Master Index

Ethnic NewsWatch 1960 - to date (updated monthly)
A full-text collection of more than 200 newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. Basic instructions for Ethnic Newswatch

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

Readers' Guide Full Text and Retrospective 1890 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 240 popular magazines in a wide range of subject areas. Full-text coverage of 131 titles begins with 1994. Basic instructions for Readers' Guide Full Text

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on family history can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

genealogy and Wisconsin
genealogy and (handbooks or manuals)
genealogy and Germans
genealogy and "African-Americans"
Norwegians and Wisconsin and history
census and Wisconsin
genealogy and immigration

Internet Sites

Emigration/Immigration Sites

European Immigration
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAimmigration.htm
Site gives historical information about European emigration to North America.

Emigration from Germany
http://www.genealogienetz.de/misc/emig/index.html
A directory of sites related to German emigration.

Irish Immigration
http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa;idno=AJJ9240
Online version of a 1873 text about Irish emigration.

The Tide of Emigration
http://adminstaff.vassar.edu/sttaylor/FAMINE/ILN/Tide/Tide.html
Article from The Illustrated London News.

Ancestors From Norway
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/
A roadmap to resources on Norwegian-American genealogy. Includes original articles on how to trace your Norwegian ancestors and links to countless resources.

Peopling North America
http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/migrations/
Site gives information on immigration to North America including population movements & migration.

Genealogy Sites

RootsWeb
http://www.rootsweb.com
A free genealogy site that allows people to share genealogy research. Includes such resources as a Surname List (made up of over a million surnames) and a database of family trees.

Cyndi's List
http://www.cyndislist.com
Perhaps the most comprehensive list of genealogy sites on the Internet, Cyndi's List is the first stop for many researchers beginning to construct their family histories. The site includes links to just about everything of interest to genealogists from how-to guides to information on particular ethnic groups.

FamilySearch
http://www.familysearch.org
A site provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, one of the single largest sources of genealogical information in the world. The site includes information about how to get started and a searchable database of genealogical information.

National Archives Genealogy Page
http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/genindex.html
Links to research tools, finding aids, and publications for those doing their family history at the National Archives in Washington, D. C.

American Family Immigration History Center at Ellis Island
http://www.ellisisland.org
Offers a searchable database of passenger lists for those whose ancestors may have come in through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924. Also includes a timeline of immigration history and other historical information.

German Resources
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cgaunt/german.html
German genealogy resources on the Internet.

German Roots
http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/
Research information for Americans of German descent. The site provides links to general as well as German-specific resources.

AfriGeneas: African Ancestored Genealogy
http://www.afrigeneas.com/
A site for those interested in exploring the histories of Americans with African ancestry. Includes a surname database, some slave records, and a variety of other genealogical resources.

AOL Hispanic Genealogy Group
http://users.aol.com/mrosado007/index.htm
A site organized by a group of Hispanic genealogists. It is intended to provide links to resources for those exploring the histories of Hispanic families.

JewishGen
http://www.jewishgen.org
An important Internet source for those investigating the history of Jewish families in the United States and abroad. The site includes a searchable database of over 250,000 names and towns and an online family tree, which contains information on more than 2 million people.

Videos

Out of Ireland [videorecording] (1995)
College Library Main Book Collection: JV 7711 Z79 U56

Journey to America [videorecording] ( 1989)
College Library Main Book Collection: E 184 J68 1989

Organizations

Wisconsin Historical Society
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/
The place to find vital records (birth, death, marriage certificates) as well as naturalization and land records for your Wisconsin ancestors.

Vesterheim Genealogical Center
http://www.vesterheim.org/genealogy.html
An institution located in Madison, WI devoted to making Norwegian-American genealogical resources available to the public.

National Genealogical Society
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/
A national organization committed to serving the genealogical community and promoting genealogical research.

Immigration History Research Center
http://www1.umn.edu/ihrc/
A University of Minnesota based resource on immigration and ethnic history. Archival and published collections are particularly rich for ethnic groups in the United States that originated in Eastern, Central, and Southern Europe.

Hispanic Genealogy Society
http://www.hispanicgenealogy.com/
A non-profit educational organization headquartered in New York City, the Hispanic Genealogy Society organizes meetings of Hispanic genealogists and provides educational opportunities.