There are thousands of genealogy sites on the internet which provide a variety of resources, services and instructions that help you discover your ancestors and the heritage that they left behind. This article will introduce you to several website tools that you might not have tried before.
Simply type in 'genealogy' into your favorite search engine and thousands of websites that might help in your family tree research will appear. But where do you start?
Genealogy websites each provide their own unique resources and tools including:
- Search tools;
- Newsletters;
- Family forums;
- Links to other websites;
- Tutorials and instructions; and/or
- Trial versions of software.
Carefully review the resources of each site. Bookmark interesting services for a future visit. Many genealogy research tools provides access to detailed information from census records; birth, marriage, and death records; ship passenger lists; WWII links; downloadable forms; and even access to trial family tree software. Take the time to review my web page Name Origins, I'm sure you will find valuable tools, services and instructions that will help you in your research.
Each time you search a site, be sure to note the usefulness of each site for future reference. You will find that these free genealogy websites provide searches that take you back a 150 years in the blink of an eye. Be careful to note the sources that you have used when you document your findings and be sure to validate your results, particularly if it does not seem to fit with the information you already have on file. Careful record keeping and wise use of internet resources can provide valuable clues to finding that long lost branch of your family tree.
