Getting Started in Genealogy

How to Start Building your Family Tree

1. Record your Family Tree

   Start by recording what you already know about your family tree. Whether you build your tree online, or use a genealogy program on your computer, start with yourself, and enter as much information as you know.
   
   
   
   • Build a FREE Family Tree Online
     
     
     • Preserve your important family information and stories by constructing a family tree beginning with yourself. You can start your free family tree online to enter what you already know about yourself, your parents, your grandparents, and as far back as you know. You may know very little about your family, or you may know a lot, but in either case, this is the first step to take.
     
     
     
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   • Build a Family Tree Offline
     
     Use a genealogy program such as Family Tree Maker to record & preserve your family history. FTM genealogy software makes getting started with your family history fast and easy. Build a family tree starting with names, dates, and events. You can attach photos, documents, and audio and video files. Build your family tree, construct family charts, and automatically create your personal family history book. Other genealogy programs.
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Interview your Family Members

   Talk to your relatives, especially your older relatives, about the family history. You might be amazed what they know but never talked about because they thought no one was interested.
   
   
   • Talk to your your relatives using some or all of these
     suggested interview questions. Whether or not you are in frequent communication with your close and extended relatives, you will find that family history is a topic in which many in your family may be interested.
     
     
   • Scan or take digital photographs of family documents and family heirlooms that are held by your family members.
     
     
   • As you talk to to your relatives, stay organized by entering all information into your online family tree or family tree software after each interview. Not only does this keep your genealogy data organized, it keeps it visually accessible and safely stored so that the information you gather is not forgotten or lost.
     
     
   • Share what you learn with your relatives. Sharing information you find with relatives not only may jog memories faster than simply asking what they know about the family, but it also keeps the family involved and excited to see what new things you have found about the family.
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Search the Internet for Genealogy Records

   After you have talked to your relatives and recorded that information, the next step is to begin your genealogy search online. Use Google to search the internet for online genealogy records as a lot of family data has been put online in various websites such as GenWeb and personal family history sites.
   
   
   • Easy Google Genealogy Searcher
     The Genealogy Google Searcher puts advanced Google features on one page with suggested keywords and advice to show how to use each feature for thorough genealogy internet searching. You can also get more internet search help with Google Search Tips.
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. Search Online Completed Family Trees

   You can try to add additional generations to your family tree by searching the existing family trees that are posted online. These could be completed branches of your family tree. Because of privacy, most online family trees will not contain living people. The online trees are a starting place, and the data should be verified.
   
   
   • Ancestry World Tree
     Look for your family tree among the more than 400 million names in the free user-submitted Ancestry World Tree - the largest collection of free pedigree files online. See if someone is already working on your tree.
   
   
   
   • Additional Family Tree Databases
     Search additional family tree and pedigree files databases to find someone working on your family tree. Find distant cousins and help extend your family tree.
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. Search Online Genealogy Records

   Fill in the blanks in your family tree and keep adding new branches to your tree generation by generation by searching the huge genealogy databases online. These databases have gathered information from around the world and made it easy to view records that used to be only available far from your home.
   
   
   • Ancestry.com
     The largest online collection of genealogy records. Trace your family tree using historical census records; immigration records; birth, marriage & death records; military records; historical newspapers; and much, much more.
     Free Access
     
     
   • Family Search
     The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world assembled by the Mormon Church.
     
     
   • Footnote.com
     A new way to help you collect and share everything you know about someone or something. Users connect and share stories, photos, and information about the people that mean the most to them.
     
     Download Original Historical Documents from the U.S. National Archives (NARA) such as Naturalization Records, Southern Claims Commission, Civil War Pension Index, Revolutionary War Full Pensions, Case Files of the Bureau of Investigation. Social networking allows users to upload stories and photos, or highlight and annotate the images of the original documents. Free Trial
     
     
   • Genealogy Bank
     Search this commercial database of historical newspapers, obituaries, books, and documents.
     
     
   • World Vital Records
     Ellis Island, state vital records, town and county histories, family histories, small town newspapers, Geo Mapping and international works. New databases are free for the first ten days.
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Search Genealogy Offline

   Not all family history can be found on the internet. Once you have searched online, you can check out these resources.
   
   
   • Family History Centers
     Family History Centers are branch facilities of the Mormon Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Centers provide access to most of the microfilms and microfiche in the Family History Library to help patrons identify their ancestors. Everyone is welcome to come to the centers.
     
     
   • Historical Societies
     Societies publish newsletters and have lectures at society meetings to keep members abreast of current news and events. These services improve family history skills and provide a network of people to help break through research barriers.
     
     
   • State Archives
     Archives often contain documents relating to the history of the state including military records and pension files, county and local histories, diaries, letters, manuscripts, directories, tax rolls, deeds, land grants, voter registration rolls, photographs and other unusual materials. Sometimes, the state archives will hold birth, marriage, death and probate records.
   
   
   
   • Your Local Library
     Many public library have genealogy departments and local historical records to help your genealogy search. They also may have free online access to large genealogy databases.
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. Explore the Genealogy Learning Center

   Still have questions how to put your family tree together? Don't know what to do next? Turn to the Ancestry.com genealogy learning center.
   
   
   • Learn Genealogy
     An outstanding learning center with free videos, articles, and lessons put together by professional genealogists. A great place to get in-depth answers to family history research. Get started, find answers, join the community, and keep learning.
   
   
   
   
   
   

8. Find Free Genealogy Free Resources

   Take advantage of the many free resources available to help with your family history.
   
   
   • Genealogy Freebies
     Genealogy doesn't have to be an expensive hobby. Take an advantage of these free genealogy resources as you search for your family history.