Searching for ancestors involves techniques that people interested in genealogy need to become familiar with in order to trace family trees. The Internet is a major resource because many records, such as census data, now are online. But there are other techniques that can be used to help the search. Searching for ancestors can be a daunting task, but by starting at the beginning, which is yourself because you are tracing backward, and taking one generation at a time, you can be successful at searching for your ancestors.
Step 1
Start with yourself and your parents. It is useful to use a computer or a notebook and pen to write the information as you conduct your search. Write names, including maiden names, dates of birth and death (if relevant), where people were born and names of parents and relatives. Include information about participation in the armed services because some of these records can be found online. Include burial sites if possible.
Step 2
Interview family members to gain as much information as possible before moving on to online searches and to other techniques. Remember, your goal is to find names of parents. You probably will have gaps in your information, such as a great-grandfather who was married twice and nobody knows the name of the first wife, who is actually the mother of a grandmother.
Step 3
Visit graves of members in your ancestry that you have no parent names for. Sometimes grave markers will list the names of parents.
Step 4
Write to county record offices for birth certificates. The birth certificates usually list the names of parents.
Step 5
Go online and search census records. There are two subscription-based sites, Ancestry and Heritage Quest, that have databases with digitized census records. These sites also will assist with searching military records. The census databases can be accessed for free at any National Archive and Records Administration branch. Census records cover the years from 1790 to 1920.
Step 6
Search the online records at the American History and Genealogy Project.
Step 7
Join genealogy groups, which can help with records that are more difficult to obtain.
Tips and Warnings
- Take a genealogy course online or at a community college.
- Some family members may not want to talk about family history because it may be embarrassing.
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