When you’re looking for items about a topic and don’t know the title or author of these items, the most effective way to search is by subject. The USMAI catalog allows you to search by subject using “subject beginning with” or “subject words” in the simple search toolbar, or by “subject” alone in the Advanced Search toolbar. For more information on how to use the USMAI catalog, check out this tutorial from the UM Libraries.
Though you can often find materials using common keywords, or natural language, it’s more efficient to search using controlled vocabulary: words or phrases used by indexers and catalogers to describe materials. When searching for items about Maryland genealogy, below are some general subject headings you can use to find materials. These keywords can also be typed into the "title" search fields for more effective searching.
Maryland, Genealogy
Maryland, Biography
Maryland, Census, (insert year or leave blank)
Landowners, Maryland, Registers.
Heads of households, Maryland, Registers.
Registers of births, etc., Maryland
Death Notices, Marylnad
Soldiers, Maryland, Registers.
Sailors, Maryland, Registers
Maryland, History, Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775, Registers.
Maryland, History, War of 1812, Registers.
African American Genealogy
African Americans, Maryland, Genealogy.
Free African Americans, Maryland, Genealogy.
Freedmen, Maryland, Registers.
Slaves, Maryland, Baltimore, Registers
Biographies/Individual Family Histories
Maryland, Biography
Maryland, History
African Americans, Biography
African Americans, Maryland, History
Women, Maryland
Women, Maryland, Biography
Women, Maryland, History
(insert family name)
Ex.: Rice Family
Carroll Family
Marshall, Thurgood, 1908-1993
Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis), 1880-1956
Census Indexes/Genealogy Resources
American Newspapers, Maryland
American Newspapers, (insert county or city name)
College Park (Md.), Directories
Prince George's County (Md.), Directories
Maryland, Census, (insert year or leave blank)
Heads of households, Maryland, Registers.
Cemeteries, Maryland
Cemeteries, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Ex: Cemeteries, Maryland, Baltimore
Inscriptions, Maryland
Inscriptions, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Ex: Inscriptions, Maryland, Anne Arundel County
Registers of Birth, etc., Maryland
Registers of Birth, etc., Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Ex: Registers of Birth, etc., Maryland, Baltimore
Court Records, Maryland
Decedents' Estates, Maryland
Probate Records, Maryland
Wills, Maryland
Wills, Maryland, (insert county name)
Ex.: Wills, Maryland, Anne Arundel County
Wills, Maryland, Baltimore County
Wills, Maryland, Harford County
Wills, Maryland, Howard County
Wills, Maryland, Montgomery County
Land grants, Maryland
Land Tenure, Maryland
Land Tenure, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Ex.: Land Tenure, Maryland, Anne Arundel County
Landowners, Maryland, Registers
Maryland, Biography
Maryland, History
Maryland, History, Revolution, 1775-1783
Maryland, History, Civil War, 1861-1865
Maryland, History, Local
Maryland, Politics and Government
Maryland, Population
Maryland, Race Relations
Women, Maryland
(insert city or county name), History
Ex.: Baltimore (Md.), History
Prince George's County (Md.), History
Prince George's Count (Md.), History, Local
Prince George's County (Md.), Genealogy
Combine county or city name with any of the aforementioned subject headings for more specific results
African Americans, Maryland
(insert ethnic or religious group), Maryland
Genealogy by County or City Name
(insert county or city name, Genealogy)
Ex.: Baltimore (Md.), Genealogy
Dorchester County (Md.), Genealogy
Prince George's County (Md.), Genealogy
(insert county or city name, History)
Anne Arundel County (Md.), History
Baltimore (Md.), History
Baltimore (Md.), History, Local
(insert county or city name, Biography)
Ex.: Harford County (Md.), Biography
Cities and Towns, Maryland
(insert subject heading), (insert county or city name)
Ex.: Wills, Anne Arundel County (Md.)
Genealogy by Religious Organization
Baptismal records, Maryland
Baptismal records, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Ex.: Baptismal records, Maryland, Baltimore
Catholics, Maryland, (insert city or county name), Genealogy
Church Records and Registers, Maryland
Church Records and Registers, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Lutherans, Maryland
Marriage Records, Maryland
Marriage Records, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Quakers, Maryland, Genealogy
Quakers, Maryland, (insert county or city name), Genealogy
Registers of Births, etc., Maryland
Registers of Births, etc., Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Maryland Census Schedules/General Genealogical Resources
American Newspapers, Maryland
American Newspapers, Maryland, (insert county or city)
(insert county name), Census, (census year), Indexes
Ex.: Harford County (Md.), Census, 1810
Maryland, Census, (insert year)
Ex.: Maryland, Census, 1920
Death notices, Maryland
Death notices, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Registers of Birth, etc., Maryland
Registers of Birth, etc., Maryland, Howard County
Marriage Records, Maryland
Marriage Records, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Obituaries, Maryland
Obituaries, (insert county or city name)
