Location is one of the key elements in genealogy research. You need to know where your ancestors were every step of the way, if at all possible.
Census records, land records, tax lists, military/census files, city and county directories, birth, marriage and death records, local histories and family genealogies are among the sources available to you.
If you know where an ancestor was in 1770, then you know where to look for records. Likewise for 1850, 1930 or 2023.
Be aware of towns in close proximity to your ancestor's home and how close they are to a county line. A marriage or other major event could have happened outside of the immediate "neighborhood."
You also need to be aware of county changes. Your ancestor could have been living in four different counties between 1785 and 1800 and never moved from his original land grant. You may need to check county A records from 1788 while the ancestor resides in county D in 1799.
If your John Smith served in the Connecticut Infantry during the Civil War, pension applications for John Smith who served in the Ohio Cavalry can be dismissed.
If James White was on a tax list in Kentucky in 1793, it's highly unlikely that he was the James White who married in London, England in 1794.
If you are looking for a Thomas Green who died in Mississippi during the War of 1812, a Thomas Green's Maryland record won't help.
LOCATION is key to research!
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