Start Your Research Here: Ten Free U.S. Genealogy Websites
Roots author Alex Haley authored the perfect mission statement for the family historian. "In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage—to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness." When Alex Haley researched his family tree he did not have easy access to the genealogical records that we have now. Anyone can begin to fulfil that hunger on the internet. There is a wealth of information of interest to family historians on the Internet which costs nothing, and these free troves of information are the first places you should go after interviewing your living relatives.
It is difficult to put these free troves of information in any ranking order. There are many more free genealogy sites other than these; however, I did not just randomly glean these from a list. I have personally used every one of these sites in my research and have unequivocally found these to be the most helpful free genealogy sites when gathering information for my family tree.
1. U.S. National Archives – http://www.archives.gov/genealogy
The records held by the National Archives and Records Administration range from U.S. land patent files to combined military service records to everything in between. It may cost you money to receive copies of record files from them, but there is plenty of information available here for free.
2. U.S. GenWeb Project – http://www.usgenweb.org
The U.S. GenWeb Project has volunteers that administer specific counties in the United States and gather genealogical information within those counties that you can peruse for free. Simply find the state and then the county you are looking for.
3. Missouri Digital Heritage – http://www.sos.mo.gov/mdh/
While not everyone has Missouri roots, the Missouri Digital Heritage site is a resource that should set the standard for how states make available their historical records. This is a well organized trove of information containing military records, historical birth and death certificates, and more.
4. FamilySearch.org – http://familysearch.org
Regardless of what religious beliefs you adhere to, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has done more to preserve the history of individuals and families of the United States than any institution outside of the federal government. And they provide access to this information for free through FamilySearch.org and their physical Family History Centers.
5. RootsWeb.com – http://www.rootsweb.com
Before Ancestry.com, RootsWeb was the place to go for compiled information on family histories. They are now an Ancestry.com community, and remain a good resource for seeing what is out there without having to pay subscription fees.
6. FindAGrave.com – http://www.findagrave.com
FindAGrave.com is a wonderful cemetery database for finding or confirming the final resting place of your ancestors and even requesting pictures of the gravesites. This community of volunteers is friendly (I am a volunteer) and the site is a very useful resource.
7. U.S. Federal Bureau of Land Management – http://www.glorecords.blm.gov
If you know where your ancestors lived and want to see if they have land patent records, the Bureau of Land Management is a great place to look. They have a searchable database and even images of the patent certificates.
8. Georgia Virtual Vault – http://www.georgiaarchives.org/
Like the Missouri Digital Heritage site listed above, the Georgia Virtual Vault of the Georgia Archives really set an example that should be followed by other states. Death certificates, Civil War pension applications, colonial wills, and more are available to peruse directly on the site for free. If you have Georgia ancestors to research, you really want to check out this site.
9. GenForum.com – http://genforum.genealogy.com/
GenForum is a great community to get in touch with other researchers to ask questions and share information. This site has been around a long time, so be sure to check out the dates on the posts to make sure you are not joining a conversation a decade too late!
10. Genealogy Trails – http://www.genealogytrails.com
This site is very similar to the U.S. GenWeb Project, but still has useful information submitted by volunteers that you may not easily find elsewhere. Like the U.S. GenWeb Project, simply select your state and county to see what resources are available for that area.
This list was not easy to put together because there are so many free resources you can choose from. However, each of the resources above has provided me with helpful information to further my research. Now that you have the information, you know where to start. And if you need any help, you know where to find us. Just message us via the contact page
Until Next Time,
Randal
