Collect Records

Historical records are the foundation of any genealogical investigation.

Put what you learned interviewing your family to work and build a solid foundation for your family tree. Start with what you know and work backward. Look for vital records like birth, marriage, and death records. Then look for census records, immigration records, wills, and even run-ins with the law. Here are a few resources to help you get started.

Digital Archives for Finding Genealogical Records

Ancestry.com is a subscription service, but many public libraries offer free access and the site also offers free two week trials. This site hosts an enormous online archive of genealogical and historical records. For an additional fee, you can also purchase access to its collection of digitized newspapers and military records.

FamilySearch.org is a free digital archive with tons of genealogical records from around the world. It’s free, but you need to set up a free account to start searching.

Findmypast.com is based in the UK. It contains an excellent collection of records for England and Ireland plus British and Irish newspapers. It also has some unique record collections from the United States.

MyHeritage.com is a subscription service that offers access to genealogical and historical records. It includes some fun tools for enhancing photos and can even give them lifelike animation using artificial intelligence.

Websites for Genealogy

Cyndi’s List is a free website offering thousands of links to websites for genealogical research. The websites are categorized and cross-referenced to make searching easy. If you’re looking for records from a particular state or for a particular ethnicity, Cindi’s List provides links to genealogical and historical archives that can help in your search.

Geni.com is a free searchable archive of member provided family trees. It’s great to see other people’s work, and can help point you in the right direction. Always be sure to look for supporting documentation. A family tree without original records to support it may not be accurate.

Finding an ancestor’s grave, even online, can be a moving experience and can provide you with information about their lives. Search for free on billiongraves.com and findagrave.com.

Old newspapers are filled with stories about real people, including your ancestors. You can search specific time periods and locations. Remember that stories can be syndicated, so an article about your ancestor may show up in a place you might never expect. Chronicling America is free in partnership with the Library of Congress. Newspapers.com is a subscription service affiliated with Ancestry.com.

DNA for Genealogy

Connecting with family using DNA can add another dimension to your research, but it’s most effective when used along with traditional records based genealogical searches. Many companies offer DNA analysis for genealogy. They offer deals periodically, especially around holidays. Here are three of the biggies in the industry, and there are several others.
Ancestry.com
MyHeritage
23andMe