How to Find Ancestors for Free

Find out who is in your family with a bit of help.

We all want to know what our ancestors were like but sometimes finding clues to our lineage can be difficult and expensive. Free resources can help you trace your family tree, but first you need to know where to find the help.

Instructions

1. Enlist the aid of a genealogy website. Some of the sites available have a vast database of information and you may be able to search for your ancestors even if you only have the names of your grandparents. Some people have devoted their lives to tracing their family trees and have collected a great deal of information that they may be willing to share.

2. Join a genealogy forum. If you're looking for a specific ancestor or a certain last name, post a message on a genealogy forum. Many other genealogists use message boards to find information about their ancestors and some of them may be able to assist you in finding more information about yours.

3. Check census records. Census records that are more than 70 years old are unsealed and available to the public. Census records can date back as early as 1790; however, most of these older records were handwritten and may be difficult to read.

4. Check the courthouse for records. You can find birth, death and marriage certificates, as well as land records at your local courthouse. You can use these records to help verify dates and land ownership.

5. Check newspaper archives. Your local library probably has old newspapers available on microfiche. You'll need an approximate date to make any sense out of the newspaper archives but you can use them to get copies of obituaries, marriage and birth announcements or to find out more information about the history-making events of your ancestors' time. This will add depth to your family tree.

Tips & Warnings

• Start your search with your close relatives. They may be able to provide you with names and dates so that you can find more information easily and start building your family tree.