How to Trace Your New York & American Roots

A Free Step-by-Step Guide

Millions of American families trace back to a real arrival in New York — Ellis Island, a naturalization record, a name on a ship’s manifest. This guide walks through exactly where those records live and how to actually find them, step by step.

Inside the guide: the real archives, record types, and search order that actually work — plus a quick-start toolkit of free resources. Free, printable PDF.

What’s inside

• Step 1: Start With What You Know
• Step 2: Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty Records
• Step 3: NYC Municipal Archives
• Step 4: New York State Census (1825–1925)
• Step 5: Federal Census 1790–1950
• Step 6: Naturalization Records
• Step 7: Community & Ethnic Records
• Step 8: DNA Testing
• Step 9: Planning a Heritage Trip to New York
• Free Resources at a Glance