- Ancestry.com has many databases online, including the Social Security Death Index. A good place to start.
- There are many pages listing Genealogy Resources on the web. This one was pretty good.
- Researchers:
A to Z Name Exchange has a researchers index where you might find someone else researching your family.
FamilyHistory.com has a ton of message boards. It's another good way to find others doing the same research you are. - State Specific:
The Minnesota Naturalization Records Index is one of the databases at Ancestry.com that's proved useful for me.
The Minnesota Historical Society has information on Family History Research and a ton of records at their new building in St. Paul. Among them are the actual microfilms of the Naturalization Records.
South Dakota Birth Records from more than 100 years ago are online. Some of my ancestors were born in South Dakota.
I've also got ancestors in the New York State Vital Records and Iowa Vital Records. - Passenger lists on the Internet has pointers to many online sources of lists of immigrants to the US. Once you know when your ancestors got here, this can help you figure out where they came from.
- Germany:The German Migration Resource Center has information on many folks who left Germany.
- Sweden:Genline will have Swedish Church Records Online, the Riksarkivet tells you how to find answers in person in Sweden, and there's a Swedish Genealogy Page which has an index of surnames and researchers.
- Poland: Genealogy & Poland has a list of resources for Poland, Poland - A Country Study gives you some history, and the Polish Genealogical Society of MN has resources for those of us in Minnesota.