RESEARCHING THE GOVERNMENT OF A LOCALITY

Your patrons need to find out as much as possible about the governments under which the families they are researching lived. Here are some typical questions they need to ask:

• How long has it been in power?

• Has the same kind of government always existed in that locality, or has it changed considerably over the years?

• Has the family had any say or any role in the local government?

• What kinds of administration and polictics have played a part in it's development?

• Has the jurisdictional area changed significantly over the years?

• Was the area formerly part of any other jurisdiction?

• What kinds of records did this government need to collect and when did these records begin?

• Does the current government maintain an archive of past records?

The answers to these and other questions can help determine what kind of a social and economic structure under which the ancestor's family lived.

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Return to:

• Table of Contents

  Geography of Locality

  History of Locality

  Government of Locality

  • Internet Resources
  • Book Resources
  • Library Resources

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This website written and designed by:
Sharon Marie Centanne,
Genealogy Research Instructor and Internet Trainer
Please direct any questions to:
Sharon.

This page updated May 3, 2008

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