Introduction: Sharing My Story -- Starting Your Family History -- United States Records Research -- Other Records -- Immigration and Naturalization Records -- US Military Research -- Ethnic Ancestry -- European Research -- Adoption Research -- DNA

"In the last five years, thanks to programs like Genealogy Roadshow and services like Ancestry.com, there has been an explosion of interest in discovering family history. However, for many novice genealogists, the journey to mapping your family's past can be daunting and the available resources are often overly complicated. Family Tree Toolkit is the perfect solution that acts as an all-purpose, easy-to-follow guide for the beginner genealogist. Modern technology has opened up the one-time hobby for genealogy enthusiasts to the mainstream with the ability to access records online and search thousands of databases from the comfort of your home. Companies like Ancestry.com, Familysearch.org, Findmypast.com, and MyHeritage.com have spent millions of dollars making records available around the world. Additionally, DNA technology has evolved to provide individuals with their genetic backgrounds dating back to the 19th century and beyond. But then the question remains: what does that really mean? Knowing your ancestry is more than just ethnic percentages; it's creating and building a story about your family history. The Family Tree Toolkit is designed to help you navigate the sometimes overwhelming and treacherous waters of finding your ancestors. The Family Tree Toolkit is a roadmap to help you on this journey of discovery. Whether you are looking for your African, Asian, European, or Jewish ancestry, The Family Tree Toolkit guides you on how and where to begin, what records are available both online and in repositories, what to do once you find the information, how to share you story and, of course, how to discover the secrets of your DNA." --