Free Genealogy Quick Reference Guides

US Statewide Vital Records Reference Chart

See at a glance the years that each US state began keeping state-level birth, marriage and death records. (Note that many counties began recording these events earlier.)

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Official US Census Dates Chart

The date a census taker wrote on his form isn’t as important as the official census date. This magic date varied, so use this chart to sort out ancestors’ reported ages.

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State Census Chart

This list of extant state, territory and colonial censuses for every state in the union will help you know what to look for. (Note: Our inventory excludes enumerations that were destroyed or were only statistical.)

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1880 DDD Supplemental Census Records by State

This state-by-state listing helps you find the 1880 supplemental schedules of “defective, dependent and delinquent classes” for your ancestor’s state.

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US Migration Routes Map

Learn how your ancestors got from point A to point B: Studying migration routes can help you track your family and guide your research. This map highlights the most popular routes American migrants used.

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Naturalization Laws Timeline

What laws might have affected your ancestors when they immigrated to America? Knowing the restrictions and guidelines in place will help you identify records to consult.

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Women’s Naturalization Laws Timeline

Download and print this Women’s Naturalization Timeline to understand the impact of U.S. naturalization laws on women.

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War Service Reference Guide

From the American Revolution to the Vietnam War, most families have members who served in the military. View a timeline of US conflicts, plus our birth date chart serves as a quick guide to telling which major war your ancestor likely served in.

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Common Military Acronyms

Confused by abbreviations in your ancestors’ military records? Here’s a guide to some of the most common military acronyms.

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Tombstone Iconography Guide

This handy guide, complete with example photos, helps take the guesswork out of some of the most popular gravestone symbols.

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Courthouse Records Checklist

Take this list of records on your courthouse research trips—they represent just a sampling of what you might find.

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Legal Terms Glossary for Genealogy Research

Use this glossary of common legal terms to decipher courthouse records in your family’s history. Don’t forget to grab your free download to keep on your desktop or in a family research binder.

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State Land vs. Public Land States Reference Chart

Whether your ancestors lived in a state-land or public-land state affects the land records you’ll look for. Learn which states fall into which category.

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Canadian Provinces Genealogy Fast Facts

This chart shows you at a glance when each province formed, when civil registration began and where to go for records.

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Czech Genealogy Terms Glossary

Researching your Czech ancestry can be difficult, especially if you aren’t familiar with the language. Keep this glossary of common genealogy terms handy as you research to save both time and frustration.

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French Genealogy Terms Glossary

Keep this glossary of genealogy terms handy for easy translations as you research your French and French-speaking ancestors.

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German Genealogy Terms Reference Charts

These translations of common German genealogy terms can be a big help when researching your ancestors, from reviewing documents to looking through an old family journal.

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Old Script Germanic Alphabet Chart

Download this handy alphabet chart to help you in deciphering handwritten Germanic letters you’ll encounter in genealogical records research.

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Map of the German Diaspora in Europe

Your German-speaking ancestors might not have come from Germany proper—German “enclaves” are scattered across Europe. See the different groups and the regions where they settled.

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Hungarian Counties Reference Guide

Consult this list of old Hungarian county names and their equivalents in other languages for help locating ancestor records.

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Irish Poor Law Unions (PLU) Map

By knowing the Poor Law Union your ancestor lived in, you can find him in Ireland’s civil birth, marriage and death records.

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Spanish Genealogy Terms Reference Charts

These free glossaries can be a big help when researching your ancestors, from reviewing documents to looking through an old family journal.

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Cousin Chart: Free Download to Determine DNA Matches

Follow the steps on this cousin chart to figure out what kind of cousins you are with a relative, including percentage of DNA matches and average shared centimorgans.

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DNA and Genetic Genealogy Terms Glossary

Taking a DNA test for genetic genealogy research? This glossary will help you understand terms and testing procedures.

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Family Relationship Chart

Use this free reference chart to identify an unknown relationship between family members through their most recent common ancestor.

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Source Citations Guide

Make source citations easier! Quickly reference examples of how to properly cite sources for various source types, from censuses to cemetery transcriptions.

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Genealogy Research Backup Checklist

If you use a cloud backup service with storage limit, you may be looking for files to eliminate from your online archive. Download this checklist to keep track.

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Family History “Stuff” Keep or Toss Checklist

You don’t have to keep all the papers, photos and other “stuff” you inherited from Grandma’s attic. Our checklist will help you decide what to keep and toss.

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Old Occupations Glossary

So your ancestor was an axle tree maker — what does that mean? Use this glossary to translate your kin’s archaic occupations.

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Photograph Shot List for Genealogy

Your camera can be an indispensable genealogy tool! Download this free, handy shot list to keep track of your genealogy photo projects. This list covers essential shots for five key family history categories: gravestones, ancestral homes, family heirlooms, records and family portraits.

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Old Recipe Measurements Conversion Chart

Got an old recipe that calls for a pinch or a pottle? Convert Great-grandma’s cryptic measurements to their modern equivalents with our free equivalency chart download.

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Computer Keyboard Shortcuts Guide

No need to click through your software menus—you can perform many common computer functions with a few simple keystrokes, saving time and energy. Refer to our handy list to learn keyboard shortcuts (on Windows and Mac) for everything from searching to saving.

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Family Tree Magazine’s Past Article Indexes

Looking for an article in a past issue of Family Tree Magazine? Our article indexes can point you to that expert advice. This download has indexes of every article from every issue. Download and save them with your collection of back issues! Each subject entry provides the issue date and page number where we published the corresponding article.

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Directory of Family History Centers

Find a Family History Center near you in this directory of US and Canadian locations, listed by state and province.

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Free Versions of Subscription Databases Chart

Did you know some of the genealogy databases on subscription websites are also available elsewhere for free? This chart compares the gratis and subscription versions of several popular data collections.

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