Image via Wikipedia
Genealogy is a term that refers to studying the lineage of a family. If you want to know more about your family’s history, the Internet can be a wonderful resource. One popular source of information for amateur and professional genealogists alike is Ancestry.com. The site is home to numerous resources. You can access U.S. Census Records dating back to 1790, as well as census records for England and Canada. Additional records available on the website include military, immigration, and birth and death records. Prospective users can try the site free for 14 days before subscribing.
Before you start a search for your family’s history online, it can be helpful to gather information by talking to your relatives. If you can compile a list of your parent’s parents and grandparents, you can plug those names in on a site like FamilySearch.org to see what online records are available. FamilySearch.org contains records for several countries, including the U.S., Europe and Australia.
If you know some general information about your grandparents and great-grandparents, that can be a great starting point when using online genealogy resources. For example, if your grandfather was a WWII veteran, you can go directly to the military records section on a site like Ancestry.com and see if there are photos available of him from his time in the military.
In the event that you want to learn more about genealogy, a great resource available on FamilySearch.org are the free online courses that show you how to start researching your family’s history in a variety of countries.