How Far Back Does a Typical Genealogy Search Lead Someone?
How far back you can search for your ancestors depends on them and when they emigrated and from which countries. Your parents and grandparents may have been born in the United States, but your great grandparents and those further back were no doubt born elsewhere. Figure approximately twenty to thirty years between generations. There are many sources you can use to search for your earliest ancestors. Always start with yourself and work backwards. My favorite, the United States Federal Census records start with 1930 and go back to 1790. They are available on microfilm in federal buildings and in many libraries. Many of the records have been published and indexed and if you use the index you will find your family quicker. Military records are available from the National Archives. They date from 1784 covering the Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, the Mexican Indian Wars and the Civil War. Coast Guard records date from 1791 to 1919. Persons applying for military pensions had to fill out
