Genealogy and Family History

Genealogy, the study of one's ancestors, can be immensely satisfying. It can also be incredibly time consuming and potentially expensive. That being said, sometimes the best results are the easiest to find and the least expensive. Here are 5 ways to find free basic genealogy information.

#1 Old newspaper clippings. One of the easiest ways to trace your family history is to head to the local library of your ancestors and pull up the microfiche. Obituaries, wedding announcements and birth announcements were often printed in the local newspaper and many libraries still have copies of this material. Of course if you're researching anyone born before newspaper printing, then you'll need to rely on other free resources.

#2 City Directories. Many major metropolitan cities have comprehensive city directories which contain a lot of basic information including addresses, businesses owned and/or worked at, and of course basic family information like who was married to whom.

#3 The Social Security Death Index. This index provides the dates of birth and death of the deceased, the city and state of last residence, the social security number, and the state in which the social security card was issued. The only caveat to finding this information is that the person has to have been around when the Social Security Act was instituted, after 1935.

#4 Gravestone and Cemetery Records
Believe it or not, you can search cemeteries around the world. Internment.net is a free service that allows you to search databases of more than 5000 cemeteries. And if you know where some of your family was buried, you can actually find a wealth of information about descendants by visiting the cemetery.

#5 Census records.
Some census and voting records date back to the early 1700s. You can access these records by becoming a member of many online services, many of these services offer a free trial. Or you can visit the National Archives. Additionally, if you're at a National Archives facility you can access the online services free of charge, without having a membership. You can also access the microfilm catalogs online before you get started to help you narrow your search.

Perhaps one of the best ways to gain insight into your family history is to go straight to the source. Ask family members what they know about your heritage. Begin with the oldest relatives first because they'll have the oldest information.

Researching and compiling your family tree can be an incredibly interesting and satisfying experience. It's nice to know where you came from and to see your family's position in history. Before you fork out hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to hire a professional or pay for resources, try some free basic genealogy first. You might be surprised what you find

Whenever you create a family tree, you want to get as much input from other family members as possible. This is one time it's good to have relatives sticking their nose into your business!

By choosing to build a family tree website, you've just boosted your ability to expand your roots even farther. Keeping records by pen and paper isn't just tedious, but limiting as well.

Now that you're planting your roots on the 'net, you want to make sure your family history can be found by others. The more people who find your genealogy, the more hands who can help you discover unknown facts and revelations.

If you chose a family tree website that allows you to create blog entries, then you'll want to post to that often to help search engine robots find it and index it for their results pages.

That way, whenever a distant relative goes online seeking information for their ancestry, Google or whatever search engine they're using will return your blog as one of their choices.

Google and other search engines like to categorize websites based on keywords. So if your family name is "Brown," then you want to create a list of words and phrases you can use within each blog entry that relate to the Brown Family Tree.

Devote each blog entry to a new keyword or phrase. The more you blog, the more often search engine robots will visit your site and post updates to search engine users when your page displays.

If your family tree website doesn't include a blog feature, then you can create one for free at www.WordPress.com. Blogging is one of the best ways to get picked up by Google and broaden your horizons for genealogy research, but it's not the only way.

The more family tree blogs and websites you have linking to your primary family tree page, the higher your site will raise in the search engine results. Hopefully, in time, you'll be in a top 10 position on Google and your relatives and ancestors will be able to click on your link for a fast, easy, and effective virtual reunion.

Don't waste hours trying to make sure you develop the perfect content for your blog. Write naturally about your quest to find information on your family name and Google will recognize your organic efforts and reward you with a spot in their search engine.

Your little one just walked in the door from school and announced that she needs to create a family tree for a class project.

In this day and age with families spread from one end of the country to the other, the ties to the past are often murky at best. You want to help your child, but heck; you don't even remember your grandparents' full names.

What do you do?

Here are some basic ideas to help your little one get beyond three-block tree without doing the project yourself:

Do share what information you can. For example, details about yourself and your spouse. Where you were born and when. Let them know about your wedding and the dates of birth of their siblings, if any.

Give your child access to a family member who might be able to help. Call your parents or your spouses'. An aunt or an uncle. Let them interview relatives for assistance.

Provide them access to the Internet. If your family is spread out, but uses the Internet, let your little one e-mail them for help. Ask family members to help fill out the tree with names and dates.

Once your child gets back the basic information, help her create the tree without doing it for her. Should the information beyond your parents still be murky, see what the two of you can find on the Internet. You might not be able to find all the answers there, but perhaps you can fill in some of the blanks.

Children are naturally curious about themselves and their family, this project can serve as a great catalyst for her to learn about where she comes from and how your family got to be where it is today.

Whether you create only a brief family history or manage to trace it back seven generations or more, make sure she enjoys the effort and learns from the research experience. Regardless the outcome, your little one will be sharpening skills that will serve her well in the future and she just might learn to appreciate the ties that bind family a little more along the way.

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A family historian operates like a detective on the trail of a good mystery. Tying links to the past tightly to the present, these researchers often become the holders of a repository of information on their families.

Aging documents, precious photographs and other pieces of vital information often come into the possession of the person on the trail of their family history.

Inasmuch, it's a very good idea for the family historian to have a basic understanding of what documents must be preserved, which ones can simply be copied, and how to protect one-of-a-kind pieces from the elements, preserving their integrity for generations to come.

The number of documents a family historian might come across in the course of their research is large, but here is a listing of some of the more common items:

Family photographs, portraits
Birth records
Death records
Written journals, letters, diaries
Military records
School records
Employment records
Contracts

Some items will be more obviously precious than others. The key in preserving what's important is using personal judgment.

Photographs, for example, are generally not replaceable. Treat them with extreme care and store them in a museum quality album or case. This is especially so for old portraits where the paint might be showing signs of aging.

Official records just as birth, death and marriage licenses are often copies. If this is the case, storage doesn't necessarily have to be of museum quality. If the documents are the originals, however, keep them stored in an album with acid free paper. Don't use tape or glue on them.

Written documents from the past, especially those drafted in your ancestors' hand, require extreme care. If they are lost or left to the elements, the information and the ties to the past cannot be recreated. Use extreme care in storing and preserving these items.

A general rule of thumb for any document you want to preserve is to treat it as a museum archivist would. Use storage equipment that protects the precious papers from water, air and acid damage.

If you exercise care with important documents now, you'll be happy later and so will your descendants when they uncover their histories carefully preserved.

Even as far back as the Civil and Revolutionary wars, record of a soldier's involvement was kept for the government. There are seven basic types of records that you will find most useful, and your ancestor may be listed in one or all of these ways, so it's a great way to find information.

First, men during a time of war were asked to register for the draft, which was then placed into effect. Ages 18 to 35 were required to sign up, but some that were older and younger also joined the ranks. Some companies have begun the process of indexing these records, so contact any research company for more information about obtaining these records. Canada also has searchable records of men that signed up for the draft. If your ancestor not only signed up, but also served, he is probably on a muster list as well. This is a roll call list that companies used to keep track of their soldiers and may include information other than a name if you are lucky.

Service records, if available, are great for information about your ancestors. These records were kept during the Revolutionary War and are still kept today. Information includes a timeline of military service, medical history, vital stats, marriage information, locations, date of death, and other information. These records are especially detailed in the southern United States. Even better than service records are pension records. Very precise records have been kept since the start of the Revolutionary War, and you may also find names of relatives or friends in these records.

Other records that are worth obtaining are bounty land records, cemetery records, and veterans' records. These documents may also hold valuable pieces of information that could be missing from your family tree. If you find that your ancestors have long been military men (or, in more recent decades, military women), it would probably be beneficial to copy and organize your data as you collect it. Because records are often hard to read, it may take you a long time to figure out certain pieces of information, so be prepared with reading glasses and perhaps even a magnifying glass. As you decipher information, write it down neatly so that you won't have to begin the process again the next time you look at your information. Military records are a relatively easy way to come by some great information, so be sure to consider this optio

If researching your own family is something you really enjoy, you might consider a career in the profession. People who seriously want to research as much about their families as possible often employ the services of a professional genealogist to help them. If you really want to supplement your income by helping others do research, there are a few important steps you need to take.

First, join a reputable genealogical society. In your own research, you've probably come across a few of the bigger organizations, and membership to one of these will help your career begin. Your best option is The Association of Professional Genealogists. Visit their website to learn how you can become a member of this organization and what benefits members have. They can also send you literature about turning professional.

Your next step is to become accredited. Chance are, no one will hire you if you cannot show that you are certified in the art of genealogical research. You can receive accreditation in six different areas of genealogy and there are six different titles to go along with that: Certified Genealogist, Certified Genealogical Record Specialist, Certified American Lineage Specialist, Certified American Indian Lineage Specialist, Certified Genealogical Lecturer, and Certified Genealogical Instructor. Research all of these options before choosing one so that you will find a good fit for your skills.

Next, do your research. By that, I mean that you should have lots of experience researching your own family history before you attempt to help anyone else. Learn how to use the Internet to do searches, and know your way around a library. Also find resource centers from each of the fifty states and ask for information about the services they provide. Know what type of information you can get at the courthouse and where you can find other records. You can learn this by reading books about genealogy, and also by participating in workshops or taking classes, another important step towards becoming pro. Stay up to date about new advances in the family history research world by subscribing to magazines and websites.

You need to be able to successfully operate your own business, including all financial and legal matters, before you attempt to turn pro. By doing this, you can be well on your way to a career in genealogy, and hopefully you will be happy an