North Carolina Research Guide Digital Download

You'll love this if…

• You're getting started tracing your ancestors in North Carolina
• You want new ideas and resources to get past a North Carolina brick wall
• Your genealogy search is focused mainly on North Carolina

Trace your North Carolina ancestors with the advice and resources in our State Research Guide! This four-page download includes:

• a how-to article detailing North Carolina’s history and records, with helpful advice on tracking your family there
• the best websites, books and other resources for North Carolina research, handpicked by our editors and experts
• listings of key libraries, archives and organizations that hold the records you need
• timeline of key events in the state's history

Here's a sampling of the helpful tips you'll get in the North Carolina guide:

• In 1663, King Charles II appointed eight "Lords Proprietor" to govern the new Provence of Carolina. Seven of the eight lords returned their land to the Crown in 1729, but an eighth—John Carteret, the "Lord of Granville"—held out. His 60-mile strip south of the Virginia border became known as the Granville District, and the region has distinct land-ownership records.
• Like many Southern states, North Carolina was tardy in adopting statewide vital records. State-level registration of births and deaths didn’t begin until 1913.

Plus, each guide contains active web links for one-click access to every recommended online resource. You can view this PDF on your computer and print pages for reference.