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Written by Michigan expert Carol McGinnis, author of the acclaimed textbook Michigan Genealogy: Sources & Resources, this “Genealogy at a Glance” guide provides a quick overview of the facts you need to know in order to begin and proceed successfully with your Michigan research. In less than a handful of pages (specially laminated for heavy use), it gives you as much useful information in the space allotted as you’ll ever need.

Focusing on key record sources and materials for further reference, McGinnis first provides history and context; so before discussing the traditional record sources such as vital records and census records, and supplementary sources such as newspapers and county histories, she provides a stream of useful and interesting facts; for example, did you know that prior to 1820 two-thirds of Michigan’s settlers had French ancestry? That by the turn of the 20th century about a quarter of Michigan’s population was foreign-born? Or that researchers can often find information about their Michigan families in Canadian records?

Michigan became part of the Northwest Territory in 1787, and starting at that time an extensive body of territorial, state, and federal land records was generated. Where to find this information, and much else besides, is at the heart of this “Genealogy at a Glance” publication, which also identifies the best books in the field of Michigan genealogy and provides an indispensable list of major record repositories as well as a list of the best online sources for Michigan research. By design, Michigan Genealogy Research can be read at a glance and with total confidence that your research is pointed in the right direction.

See also the other publications in our "At a Glance" series:
Genealogy at a Glance: French-Canadian Genealogy Research, by Denise R. Larson
Genealogy at a Glance: Scottish Genealogy Research, by David Dobson
Genealogy at a Glance: German Genealogy Research, by Ernest Thode
Genealogy at a Glance: African American Genealogy Research, by Michael Hait
Genealogy at a Glance: Irish Genealogy Research, by Brian Mitchell
Genealogy at a Glance: Ellis Island Research, by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
Genealogy at a Glance: Revolutionary War Genealogy Research, by Craig R. Scott
Genealogy at a Glance: Immigration Research, by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
Genealogy at a Glance: English Genealogy Research, by Paul Milner
Genealogy at a Glance: Virginia Genealogy Research, by Carol McGinnis
Genealogy at a Glance: Italian Genealogy Research, by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
Genealogy at a Glance: French Genealogy Research, by Claire Bettag
Genealogy at a Glance: American Cemetery Research, by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack