When it comes to researching your family history, there are a lot of great websites that can aid you in your research. Some of these websites charge a fee for membership, or for accessing documents. However, there are many websites that contain tons of information, and are offered to you free of charge. Here are a few of the most popular free ancestry search websites.
www.usgenweb.com – This is arguably one of the best websites for researching your family history. The site is broken down into states and counties. Local individuals moderate each section of the site and add new content constantly. This website is entirely free of charge, and is full of invaluable information. You can also volunteer with this website, and add your family’s documents and other ancestry information, to help others in their family tree research.
http://www.ancestorhunt.com – This site is also free, and contains tons of valuable ancestry information. It also contains links to other great free ancestry information search engines and related ancestry websites. One of the most interesting features of this site is the Family Bible Records and Transcription Images section. You can also submit your family’s documents and information to this site, to help other researchers.
www.archives.gov – This site is run by the United States federal government. The site has vast collections of records that are accessible online. This site contains hundreds of databases, and is somewhat difficult to navigate for beginners, but has a great tutorial section. This site is also free of charge.
When searching your family history online, start in the present and work your way back. Also, rely on your living family members for information, sometimes their stories can help you fill in missing pieces. If you live close to your hometown, be sure to check local courthouse and church records for information. Don’t overlook the family Bible or other old documents that have been saved. And be patient. Your family tree wasn’t built in a day, and you may not be able to unlock all the secrets of your history quickly, either.
Researching your family tree can be a long, time-consuming process, but the information you’ll find will be invaluable to you and your descendants. Thanks to the pain-staking research of my mother, and some research that I was able to do on my own, I recently found out that my great-great-great-great-great Grandfather on my mother’s side of the family fought two tours in the Revolutionary War. As a result, I am now eligible for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. I also learned from months of my own online research that my father’s ancestors were royalty in Scotland, and owned a castle. They fled Scotland during some troubled times and came to America to find a new life. There’s no telling what information you might find about your family on these ancestry websites, but it’s always interesting to do the research. Happy searching!
