Would you like to learn more about where your ancestors are from? Millions of people today are doing just that by using online ancestry databases, search engines, local church archives, community directories, immigration records, military service data or vital statistics. Any of these records will help you trace your ancestry back many generations, which will fill in a lot of unknown information about their lifestyles, personal actions and community involvement. If you want to learn more, you can use an ancestry DNA test coupon code to identify your lineage.
Why Do People Do Genealogy Investigation?
When people perform genealogy, it is to help them understand more about family, history and heritage voyages that help searchers fill in the blanks about how their descendants come from all around the world. People also start their genealogy research for several other reasons:
- To learn about the heritage of descendants
- To find family members around the world
- To gain more insight into a family culture
- To fill in the unknowns about family history
- To attain more facts about stories grandparents used to tell
- To find out interesting facts about the family traditions passed on through generations
How to Get Started
There are a few options that you have at your disposal to trace your family heritage. There are genealogists who will do all of the work for you. They are pricey but convenient. There are free genealogy websites that provide basic information that will assist you in your searches. There are also genealogy communities online where you will learn search tips and family links.
There are also genealogy websites that charge fees. Some charge a one-time fee while others charge a monthly subscription. Once you gain access to local and online databases, you will have at your disposal the tools and resources you need to locate family members quickly. There are also some genealogy websites that provide DNA testing to validate your family ancestry.
Search Data Availability
Regardless of which search option you choose, you need to be able to access data like birth, marriage, divorce, death, baptisms, immigration, military, census and government and religious archives. If you feel overwhelmed, keep in mind that some of the sites like ancestry.com offer free trial periods, which will give you the time you need to figure out a system for search criteria.
Once you start an account with a credible ancestry database, you can get started filling in your family tree by adding in the data that you already know. You are then able to search through records based on the site’s availability. You are able also to verify any of the information based on family connections and save what is relevant digitally or print out a copy for future research.
Use Libraries to Search
There is an exorbitant quantity of material available in your local libraries. There are also private organizations and religious affiliations that have genealogy archives. Much of it will not even be published because it is donated by private citizens who also performed genealogy research. You will also receive access to documents that professional researchers have made public.
Helpful Tips to Follow
Get Organized
Before jumping in head first, you need to get organized so that you have a system in place to save information. You will come across digital files, paper documents and images, so you need to know how and where you will store it. Even if you decide to store everything digitally, you will want to consider backing up the files or printing them out for future generations. It will also make it easier to access data. You will need supplies like:
- A computer
- Genealogy software
- Family tree templates
- A printer and paper
- A storage cabinet or box
- File folders
Use Biological Names When Searching
You will want to use birth or maiden names when searching as people often modify their names later on in life due to multiple marriages or legalities like adoption. Not starting with a birth name complicates the process and adds multiple documents that you must track down and examine, which will be both an expensive and lengthy process to complete using multiple databases.
Utilize Census Reports
Seasoned genealogy experts will advise newbies to first start by utilizing census reports as it pertains valuable information that you will be able to use to start constructing your family tree. Other than names of the location of residents, it documents age, sex and race, it documents demographics, economic conditions and social characteristics.
It is also important to keep in mind that there are events like political unrest, civil disobedience, religious persecution, famine and wars that occurred in each generation. These events changed the lives of settlers and often set them on a course to immigrate to better lands. Thinking about different variables and historical settings will help you find more family history.
Historical Events That Affect Searches
What is important to keep in mind is that any event worldwide could have affected your family tree. While a genealogy search will identify ancestors, these records will fill in the family history. Some examples include:
- Events like the Great Famine (1845-1852) led to mass immigration
- Pilgrims flocked to the colonies in the 1600s to escape religious persecution
- The Alien and Sedition Act (1798) caused some families to flee North America
- Settlers were offered land grants to boost immigration
- During the Great Depression, many families relocated
- The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 resettled displaced Europeans
- The McCarran-Walter Act (1952) offered preferential immigration treatment
- Immigration Act of 1990 gave protected status based on circumstances
Building a genealogy timeline and family tree is one of the fascinating experiences as you will continuously learn new events that help you learn more about who you are. There are also tools like ancestry DNA that links your family to hundreds or thousands of years of data. It also provides clues that will steer your investigation to new relatives, stories and family keepsakes.