The first steps -- U.S. census records -- U.S. vital records -- Naturalizations records -- U.S. military records -- Cemeteries, burials, funerals, and related death records -- Chicago and Midwestern records and resources -- Miscellaneous records -- Determining the Polish village of origin -- Polish language and genealogy -- Polish church and vital records -- Polish research and beyond -- DNA and genetic genealogy -- Living relatives -- Research tips -- Appendices : Appendix A: Websites of interest to Chicago Polish -- Appendix B: Tips for searching internet databases -- Appendix C: Locations of interest to Chicago research -- Appendix D: Recommended readings -- Appendix E: My genealogy -- Appendix F: Bibliography and note on sources

"Chicago has been the historic stronghold of Polish-Americans. Poles came to Chicago for the opportunities it offered, and then scattered across the Midwest and the United States. Millions of Americans today can trace some line of ancestry back to the Polish population of Chicago and greater Cook County... This book focuses on the years 1860 to 1945, and the target ancestry group is Polish Catholics.... To make this book practical, its focus is on Poland as defined by its boundaries today, not five hundred years ago..." This Second Edition includes Appendices some of which cover DNA and genetic genealogy, websites of interest, and recommended readings