How to Create Your Family Tree for Free
Genealogical research can be a fascinating hobby in which the entire family can participate. In the past, such research was tedious and time consuming for those who attempted the project themselves and costly to hire a service to perform the task. However, the Internet has made it possible to research your family tree efficiently and at no cost.
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Instructions
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Place a sheet of paper so that the longest side is parallel to your desk. On the left side, draw a line about two inches long in the middle of the page, and record your name and your date and place of birth.
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Draw a one-inch line perpendicular to your first line, and then draw two lines, each about two inches long, branching off from it to form a bracket. Record your parents' names, their birth dates and birthplaces, and, if applicable, their dates and places of death. In the space between the two lines, record the date and place of their marriage.
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Continue the process to enter the same information for all four of your grandparents. Repeat, completing all facts known to you or obtained through interviews with family members.
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Go online to one of the free sites, such as Family Search or RootsWeb. Locate the link to search the database and click on it.
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Examine your family tree, and locate the last known name. Enter this in the search window to search existing trees. When a result is found, there is normally information on the person's parents and spouse returned as a link. Click on the links, and record all information in your notebook.
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Once you have exhausted your links, transfer the information to your family tree. Use a pencil because you may later find changes in spelling or even determine the information is inaccurate.
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Confirm the data by using official records, such as census records or the Social Security death index.
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After you have found all the information you can, transfer your data from your tree to a family tree form. On the My Heritage site, download the free family tree builder software program.
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Tips & Warnings
If you know the name of an ancestor who immigrated to America, you can often find information at the Ellis Island, Castle Garden, Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild, or Galveston Historical Foundation websites.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an extensive genealogical site. They not only have compiled millions of records from around the world, but also offer online lessons on genealogical research and links to searchable databases.
Some sites have databases that you can search for free as well as those for which you must pay. Make sure you are selecting only the free searches.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit family tree image by Judy Ben Joud from Fotolia.com
