R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Brazil
Research Outline
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Table of Contents
Helps For Using This Research Outline
     References To Other Family History Library Publications
Archives And Libraries
     National Government Archives And Libraries
     State Archives
     Civil And District Civil Registry Offices
     Diocese And Parish Archives
     Libraries And Archives Of Portugal
     Private And Public Libraries
     Historical And Genealogical Societies
     Inventories, Registers, And Catalogs
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
     Bahia State Census
     São Paulo State Census
     Paraná State Census
     Polish Census
     Searching Census Records
     Searching In Big Cities
Church Directories
Church History
     Roman Catholic
     Judaism
     Other Religions
Church Records
     General Historical Background
     Information Recorded In Church Registers
     Records Not At The Family History Library
     Search Strategies
Civil Registration
     Information Recorded In Civil Registers
     Locating Civil Registration Records
     Records At The Family History Library
     Locating Records Not At The Family History Library
     Search Strategies
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
     Finding Your Ancestor’s Town Of Origin
     Passenger Lists
     Immigration To Brazil
     Records Of Brazilian Emigrants To The United States
     Other Records Of Departure
Encyclopedias And Dictionaries
Gazetteers
     Finding Place Names In The Family History Library Catalog
     Modern Place Names
     Historical Place Names
Genealogy
     Major Collections And Databases
     Family Histories
     Computer Networks And Bulletin Boards
Heraldry
Historical Geography
     The Captaincies
     States
History
     Local Histories
Jewish Records
Land And Property
Language And Languages
     Language Aids
Maps
     Using Maps
     Finding The Specific Town On The Map
     Finding Maps And Atlases
Military Records
     Military History
Minorities
Names, Personal
     Surnames
     Given Names
Native Races
Nobility
Notarial Records
Occupations
Periodicals
     Obtaining Periodicals
Probate Records
Slavery And Bondage
Social Life And Customs
Societies
Taxation
Other Records Of Brazil
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

This outline can help you find information about ancestors who lived in Brazil. It gives information about records of genealogical value for Brazil and helps you decide which types of records to search.


HELPS FOR USING THIS RESEARCH OUTLINE

Before using this outline you need to choose the information you would like to learn about one of your ancestors, such as a birth date or a maiden name.

After you have decided what information you want to find, look at the Record Selection Table in this outline. It lists the kinds of information you may want and the best types of records for finding that information.

There is a section in the outline for each type of record listed in columns 2 and 3 of the Record Selection Table. The sections give more information about these records and how to find them. The sections are in alphabetical order.

References to the Family History Library Catalog

The Family History Library Catalog is a listing of all the records available through the Family History Library. The catalog is available at the Family History Library and at each Family History Center. Staff there can teach you how to use the catalog.

This outline gives instructions for finding information in the catalog. For example, in the section of this outline called “Biography” you may find the following statement:

For more information about census records, look in the “Locality Search” section of the Family History Library Catalog under:

BRAZIL - BIOGRAPHYBRAZIL, [STATE]- BIOGRAPHYBRAZIL, [STATE], [TOWN]- BIOGRAPHY
This tells you to look in the catalog under:

  • “Brazil” and then the subject BIOGRAPHY.
  • A state in Brazil and then the subject BIOGRAPHY.
  • A town in a state in Brazil and then the subject BIOGRAPHY.

This outline includes many references to specific records. The references include call numbers and computer numbers and are listed in parenthesis.

Call Numbers. The call number is used to find a record in the Family History Library (FHL). Book numbers use a Dewey decimal number; film numbers are a million number that begins with 0, 1, or 2; and microfiche numbers are a million number that begins with a 6.

Computer Numbers. Each record is assigned a number to identify it in the catalog. If you are using the Family History Library Catalog on computer or compact disc and know the computer number, you can use it to search for the record. This is the quickest way to find the listing of the record in the catalog.

For additional information on using the catalog, see Using the Family History Library Catalog (30966).


References to other Family History Library Publications

The Family History Library has many other publications that may help you in your research. Some are referred to in this outline. Their titles are in italics, and their item numbers are in parentheses. They are available at the Family History Library and some Family History Centers, or they can be ordered from the Salt Lake Distribution Center.

RECORDS SELECTION TABLE: BrazilThe table below can help you decide which records to search.In column 1 find the goal you selected.In column 2 find the types of records that are most likely to have the information you need. Then turn to that section of this outline. (The terms used in columns 2 and 3 are the same as the topic headings used in this outline and in the “Locality Search” section of the Family History Library Catalog.)Column 3 contains additional records that may also be useful.Records containing previous research (genealogies [including family histories], biographies, histories, periodicals, and societies) could provide information for nearly all of the goals. These have been repeatedly listed if they are especially helpful for the goal.
1. If You Need 2. Look First In 3. Then Search
Ages Civil Registration, Church Records Census, Emigration and Immigration
Birth dates Civil Registration, Church Records Emigration and Immigration
Cities or parishes of foreign birth Civil Registration, Church Records Emigration and Immigration, Schools, Military Records
Customs Social Life and Customs History, Minorities
Deaths Civil Registration, Church Records Cemeteries, Newspapers
Ethnicity Civil Registration, Church Records Emigration and Immigration, Societies
Historical backgrounds History Gazetteers, Periodicals
Immigration dates Emigration and Immigration Census, Biography, Naturalization and Citizenship
Living relatives Directories Newspapers, Biography, Court Records
Maiden names Civil Registration, Church Records Cemeteries, Military Records
Marriages Civil Registration, Church Records Census
Municipal origins and boundaries Gazetteer, Maps History
Occupations Civil Registration, Church Records Census, Directories
Parents, children, and other family members Civil Registration, Church Records Emigration and Immigration, Census, Probate, Genealogy
Physical descriptions Emigration and Immigration Military Records
Place-finding aids Gazetteers Maps, History
Places of residence Civil Registration, Church Records Census, Biography
Previous research Genealogy Periodicals, Biography, Societies, Nobility
Religions Church Records History
Social activities Social Life and Customs Biography, History, Genealogy

Map of Brazil States, ca. 1997

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Version of Data: 6/8/2001]