Step 1: Start With Yourself

Identify what you already know. Start with yourself and work backward in time by filling in as much information as you can, by memory, on a pedigree chart. Try to fill out full names (including maiden names for women), relationships, and dates and locations for births, marriages, and deaths.

Step 2: Gather Family Information

Gather home sources (birth certificates, marriage licenses, deeds, etc.) and family information. Look in the homes of parents, grandparents, and other relatives. Gather records that show family names; dates of birth, marriage, and death; places; or relationships. Older relatives will likely have more records and information than others.

Records may include:

Bibles
Newspaper clippings
Birth, marriage, death certificates
Diaries
Letters
Scrapbooks

Also look at compiled sources for any information about the family.

Step 3: Interview Your Relatives

Interview relatives, both those who live nearby and those who live faraway. Interview them either by phone or in person. Make sure to interview the eldest living relatives; their knowledge can often fill in gaps when records become scarce.

When conducting oral interviews:

Set up appointment (by phone for those who live far away and in person for those who live near).
Prepare questions beforehand.
Record the interview (ask for permission beforehand).
Write down notes afterwards.
Compare memories between relatives.
Fill out family group sheets to organize ancestors according to learned information.

Topics to cover in interviews:

When and where things happened. Location is key in genealogical research.
Relationships
Names (including maiden names, nicknames, etc.)
Be aware of sensitive topics for the interviewee.

Step 4: Collect Copies of Records

With the information learned from the records found and interviews conducted, obtain copies of more records. These records will help prove relationships and extend the family line further. Some may be online, but others may need to be ordered from county courthouses or state vital records offices.

Such records include:

Birth, death, marriage, divorce
Courthouse Information
Land/probate deeds, conveyances, affidavit of heirship, guardianship
Tax records (includes slave information)
Voter registration
Social security administration
Researching African American Genealogy

Step 5: Follow UP On Death Records Clues

Legal name of descendant
Marital status
Parent(s) names(s)
Parent’s birthplaces
Date and place of birth and death
Who verified death
Funeral home that handled remains
Cemetery
Verification of social security number

Step 6: Search the Census

Records may include:

Bibles
Newspaper clippings
Birth, marriage, death certificates
Diaries
Letters
Scrapbooks

Also look at compiled sources for any information about the family.

Begin searching with the name of a person you know who would have been included in the 1940 census. If you have trouble finding the person, look for siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Most families lived only a few doors from each other.

Search Other Federal Records – National Archives

Records of African- American History

National Archives at Atlanta

Besides the census, there are other federal records to look for:

Military records (especially pension records)
Mortality and veteran schedules
Social Security Death Index

Step 7: Search State and County Records

In many cases, state and county records are the best sources for finding information. Most states and counties have an archives office. Many of these records are online, but some may only be accessible at the archives.

State and county records may include:

State censuses, Church records, Cemetery records, Vital records, Land and property records, Narratives, histories, Directories, Voter registration cards, Tax lists (this is important for slavery research), Wills and probate, Criminal and civil proceedings