How to Do Free Genealogy Research Online
Ancestry.com is one of the premier places to do genealogy research online but after a two-week free trial period, accessing its records incurs a monthly fee. Fortunately, you can continue your research for free using other web resources.
Instructions
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Sign up for a two-week trial at http://www.Ancestry.com if you haven't done so in the past. Use the website's databases as much as possible in the two-week period. Be sure to cancel the account before your credit or debit card is charged a monthly fee.
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Do free searches and explore the archives at http://www.Rootsweb.com. This website is owned by Ancestry and contains user-uploaded GEDCOM files, which you can use to flesh out your own research. The site also has access to some census records where you can search for ancestors, find out where they lived and gain information on other relatives such as children and parents.
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Take advantage of the http://www.FamilySearch.com website. This genealogy database is provided free by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is a treasure-trove of information. You can download GEDCOM files, search public records and download a free genealogy program for organizing your family tree information.
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Use the records from the Ellis Island Foundation at http://www.ellisislandrecords.org if you think one or more of your ancestors might have immigrated to this country through Ellis Island.
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Peruse the links to various genealogy websites available at http://www.cyndislist.com. Although some of these links lead to paid websites, many are for free sites and are broken into various topics such as locations, ethnicity or time periods to help make your searches easier.
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Tips & Warnings
Many websites, such as http://www.rootsweb.com, include forum boards for family names and locations. Joining the boards for the names and localities of the people you are looking for can add a wealth of information for your searches. By simply posting a request for information, you may find other distant family members who may have the data and documentation you need.
With all the free resources on the Internet, you should consider paying for information only after these have been exhausted.
When you are beginning genealogy research, start with those names that you know are your ancestors, such as your parents or grandparents. Find out the dates and locations of their birth, along with maiden names. This will help enormously when searching census records and other online databases.
References
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Comments
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I need help I have 700 names and I can"t send to the temple. Who can help me.
