My American Heritage

The following resources will help you in the exploration of Genealogy.

My American Heritage Task

 Print Resources

* We have a wide range of print resources pulled in the following four categories: Family Tree, Immigration, Family History, & Impact of History. 

* Look for the display on the back shelves of the Library.
 Don't forget to use Destiny, our automated catalog, to search for books on particular subjects.


 Online Databases

Student Resource Center - Gold
Search multiple formats: journals, magazines, encyclopedias, and more.

 

World Book Encyclopedia
Offers a combined search feature of encyclopedias, research tools, biography center, magazines, websites and much more.


 Internet Sites

Family Tree Resources

Connecticut Genealogy (CT State Library) http://www.cslib.org/genealogy.htm

Ellis Island Genealogy Learning Center [Need to register, then you can download Pedigree Charts/Family Trees] http://www.ellisisland.org/genealogy/genealogy_charts.asp

Ancestral Chart http://www.ancestry.com/trees/charts/ancchart.aspx?

Downloadable Genealogy Charts *** Many choices http://misbach.org/pdfcharts/

Connecticut Genealogy http://www.genealinks.com/states/ct.htm

 

Immigration
Destination America: http://www.pbs.org/destinationamerica/usim.html

Ellis Island - The Immigrant Experience: http://ellisisland.org/Immexp/index.asp

Internet Modern History Sourcebook - US Immigration: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook28.html

The Library of Congress: Port of Entry- Immigration: http://frontiers.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/features/port/start.html

The Library of Congress: Immigration Timeline: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/timeline.html

USA Immigration: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAimmigration.htm

 

Family History

Family Search http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp

 My Heritage- Free Family History http://www.myheritage.com/page/free-family-history

 Census Records http://www.censusrecords.net/

 

Impact of History
American Cultural History - The Twentieth Century (arranged by decade): http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decades.html

America's Story - The Modern Era:
www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/modern

The 20th Century - Decade by Decade (See General Resources on the Web): www.wtps.org/wths/imc/Pathfinders/twentieth_century.htm

American History Timeline: http://www.animatedatlas.com/timeline.html

Cinema History (films arranged by decade): http://www.tc.umn.edu/~ryahnke/film/cinema.htm

Media History Timeline - 20th Century:  http://www.mediahistory.umn.edu/timeline/19thcent.html

National Museum of American History: http://americanhistory.si.edu/explorer/index.cfm

Pomperaug High School Social Studies Department - Decades Project: www.pomperaug.com/departments/social_studies/ushistory/ush-dp.htm

Post WWII American Literature and Pop Culture Database: http://english.berkeley.edu/Postwar/pop.html

Stories of the Century: http://www.newseum.org/century/#

Web Generation: http://www.wgeneration.com/

Google News Timeline http://newstimeline.googlelabs.com/

 

Family Crests/ Coat of ARms

Coats of Arms and Family Surname History (Type in your surname): http://www.houseofnames.com/

Heraldic Clipart: http://www.digiserve.com/heraldry/clipart.htm

International Civic Heraldry: http://www.ngw.nl/

***The Meanings Behind the Symbols of Family Crests and Coats of Arms: http://www.fleurdelis.com/meanings.htm

If you do not find what you're looking for in the above resources, try the search tips listed below.
 

 Internet Search Tips

  1. Type the URL (web site address) of a search directory/engine in the address box: ex: www.google.com or http://scholar.google.com/, etc.
     
  2. (Be sure to type the address exactly the way you see it, including any uppercase letters and punctuation).
     
  3. Type in key word(s).  If your keyword has two parts such as "generation gap," be sure to put quotes around it so that the search engine only finds the Internet sites on generation gap as opposed to all of the sites containing the word generation and all of the sites containing the word gap.
     

  4. If you would like to search for something specific about a term, try a combined keyword search by adding a comma, followed by a space and your other search term. For example: "generation gap", "baby boomers"

    Hit Enter on your keyboard, or click on Search, then scan the description of the "hits" (entries) and click on the links that sound best.
     

  5. Be sure to evaluate each Internet site for the following:

     

  6. Remember: if you choose to use any information (text or graphics) found on an Internet source, 
    you must include it in your bibliography.

Remember:  YOU MUST CITE EVERY RESOURCE YOU USED to gather information on your 
Works Cited (Bibliography) page.  Use the Works Cited Guide to access MLA format.

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