Rhode Island Research Guide Digital Download

You'll love this if…

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

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

• a how-to article detailing Rhode Island’s history and records, with helpful advice on tracking your family there
• the best websites, books and other resources for Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island guide:

• Many of Rhode Island's prominent original towns were founded on land originally inhabited by the Narragansett. Evidence of Narragansett settlement survive today in place names.
• Towns in Rhode Island kept vital records as early as the 1630s, though coverage varies by location.
• Rhode Island took state censuses every 10 years from 1865 to 1935; only 1895 records are missing. Find them online at Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.

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.