Finding Your Family Tree: A Beginner's Guide to Researching Your Genealogy

by Sharon Leslie Morgan

Embarking on a quest to uncover your ancestry? Finding Your Family Tree is the perfect genealogy guide to have at your side, with special research techniques for underrepresented groups. Genealogy offers you the opportunity to understand who you are through your family history. With this knowledge, you can embrace your identity, understand your own health and wellness, reconnect with your roots and family origins, and find an overall sense of wholeness. Finding Your Family A Beginner’s Guide to Researching Your Family Tree is an ideal starting point for your own journey of self-discovery.

Your are eager to learn your ancestry, but in these disconnected times it can be hard to figure out on your own. With author and expert genealogist Sharon L Morgan as your guide, you can explore even the thorniest family tree. Sharon shows you how to embrace the world of genealogical research and provides guidance for underrepresented groups, such as African Americans and Native Americans, and anyone else who is interested in connecting with their family background.

In this engaging, accessible guide on how to do family research, you’ll  

Tips and tricks for using major online and offline research sources—without falling for false leads. Techniques for overcoming common research obstacles.  Special attention to the challenges of genealogical research for groups that are underrepresented in the historical record. Sample research documents and useful visuals on how to interpret old records. 
Beyond exploring the practical challenges of researching your family history, this book will show you what’s most exciting about this research—the unique family stories and histories you’ll discover, but also the essential truths that bind and connect us all.

Genres: History

202 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2023

About the author

Sharon Leslie Morgan is the founder of OurBlackAncestry.com, a website devoted to helping people appreciate and explore African American family history and culture.

For more than 25 years, Sharon has been researching her family history in Lowndes County, AL and Noxubee County, MS. She is a member of several genealogical associations including the National Genealogical Society, the African American Historical and Genealogical Society and local societies in the geographic areas of her research.

Professionally, Sharon is a marketing communications consultant. A pioneer in multicultural marketing, she is a founder of the National Black Public Relations Society; worked for a multitude of Fortune 100 companies; and spent many years living abroad in the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.

Sharon’s first book, My Daddy Is A Cool Dude, was published in 1975 by The Dial Press and nominated for a prestigious Caldecott Medal for children’s literature. She is also the co-author of Real Women Cook: Building Healthy Communities With Recipes that Stir the Soul.

Reviews

[Tracey Crossland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise and helpful guide for people starting genealogical research. However the book contains information and resources for tracing American, rather than British records. This will be helpful for British readers who would like to trace American ancestors but not good as a starting point for anyone wanting to access British records. The book also contains extensive information on tracing African/American records. The examples given in the book will be interesting for all readers.

[Mary Kinietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great starting point

[Carol]

929.1 - Clapp Lib - HB - 2023

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wealth of information on how to gather information for constructing a family tree. I recommend it.

[Brontedorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan's book is a great beginning resource for family tree research. She intersperses the informational sections with memoir stories of her own family research. The memoir elements prevent the book from becoming too dry and held my interest throughout. Morgan's book is well-organized and I will use it as a reference again and again.