North Carolina genealogy research is much bigger than Ancestry and FamilySearch. Understanding the colony and state’s changing governments, settlement patterns, migration routes, county formations, and record repositories can help you find the records that explain your ancestor’s life.
In this video, I take a quick trip through North Carolina history and then show you where to look for records beyond the large genealogy websites.
Research tip: Before searching, identify the county that existed on the date of the event. Then check its parent county, adjoining counties, migration routes, neighbors, witnesses, church members, and in-laws. The people around your ancestor may reveal where the group came from or where it went next.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
NORTH CAROLINA ARCHIVES & LIBRARIES
State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh
https://archives.ncdcr.gov/
Visit the State Archives, Outer Banks History Center, and Western Regional Archives
https://archives.ncdcr.gov/about/visit
North Carolina county government records: court, land, marriage, estate, will, tax, bond, and related records
https://archives.ncdcr.gov/researchers/collections/government-records
North Carolina Digital Collections
https://digital.ncdcr.gov/
Government and Heritage Library, Raleigh
https://library.nc.gov/about-us/government-and-heritage-library
Government and Heritage Library catalogs, online resources, and research tools
https://library.nc.gov/search-library
NCpedia: North Carolina history and background
https://www.ncpedia.org/
Outer Banks History Center, Manteo
https://archives.ncdcr.gov/researchers/outer-banks-history-center
Western Regional Archives, Asheville
https://archives.ncdcr.gov/researchers/western-regional-archives
MAPS, COUNTY CHANGES & NEWSPAPERS
North Carolina Maps, a collaborative collection from the State Archives, UNC, and the Outer Banks History Center
https://web.lib.unc.edu/nc-maps/
Library of Congress Maps
https://www.loc.gov/maps/
David Rumsey Map Collection
https://www.davidrumsey.com/
Map of US: North Carolina county formation maps
https://www.mapofus.org/northcarolina/
North Carolina Digital Heritage Center / DigitalNC
https://www.digitalnc.org/
Chronicling America: historic newspapers from the Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/collections/chronicling-america/
LOCAL LIBRARIES, HISTORY ROOMS & CULTURAL HERITAGE COLLECTIONS
North Carolina public and academic library directory
https://library.nc.gov/nc-libraries/library-directory
NC ECHO: North Carolina cultural heritage institutions
https://ncecho.org/
UNIVERSITY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
UNC-Chapel Hill, Wilson Special Collections Library and the North Carolina Collection
https://library.unc.edu/wilson/
https://library.unc.edu/wilson/ncc/
East Carolina University, J. Y. Joyner Library Special Collections
https://library.ecu.edu/specialcollections/
Duke University, Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein
NC State University, Special Collections Research Center
https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/scrc
UNC Greensboro, Special Collections & University Archives
https://library.uncg.edu/about-us/library-departments/special-collections-university-archives/
Wake Forest University, Special Collections & Archives
https://zsr.wfu.edu/special/
Appalachian State University, Special Collections Research Center
https://disc.library.appstate.edu/collections/
Western Carolina University, Hunter Library Special & Digital Collections
https://www.wcu.edu/hunter-library/find/special-and-digital-collections.aspx
UNC Charlotte, Special Collections & University Archives
https://library.charlotte.edu/visit-study/rooms-spaces/special-collections
HISTORIC SITES & RECORD GROUPS
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Roanoke Island
https://www.nps.gov/fora/index.htm
North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program
https://www.dncr.nc.gov/about-us/history/division-historical-resources/nc-highway-historical-marker-program
National Archives: Freedmen’s Bureau Records
https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/freedmens-bureau
National Archives: Civil War Records
https://www.archives.gov/research/military/civil-war
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library locator
https://locations.familysearch.org/en/search
Always check current hours, access rules, and appointment requirements before making a research trip.
If this was helpful, subscribe to NC Ancestry for more North Carolina family history research.
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