Digital documents form the backbone of modern genealogy research. Whether it’s shared family trees, scanned photos, or official documents, there is always new data to be explored. The hardest part remains, however, in finding free resources. Luckily, many U.S. states have put a good deal of effort into making their records freely accessible online.
When most of us think of Ancestry.com, we think of paid resources. And, of course, the vast majority of Ancestry’s billions of records are behind a paywall. However, you might be surprised to hear that the site does offer a relatively large assortment of completely free collections, and they are 100% searchable. When you attempt …
How to View Thousands of Free Records on Ancestry Without a Subscription Read More »
By Jodi Bash The digital age of photos gives us so much to be thankful for. Photos can be edited, shared, deleted, and ordered in a frame at the touch of a button. I am so used to this convenience that when faced with a physical copy of a picture it often takes me months …
This May be the Fastest Way Ever to Scan Old Family Photos, and it’s Free Read More »
Ancestry.com has announced that it will be offering access to more than 1 billion UK and Irish records this weekend, Feb 17th through the 20th. If you have roots in England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales, and don’t currently have a paid Ancestry subscription, this is a great opportunity to do some no-cost research. We’ve put together …
Ancestry to Offer Free Access to 1+ Billion UK and Irish Records Read More »
Old newspapers are one of the most valuable resources available to family history researchers. Not only can they provide some of the critical basic data we need to grow our trees – such as birth, marriage and death dates – they are one of the few resources that can help us expand our understanding of our ancestors’ …
Search 10 Million Free Newspaper Pages for Your Ancestors Read More »
Recently, I discovered proof of a fascinating family story in an unexpected place. I had looked for this proof on death and marriage records, in the federal and state census, in newspapers, and just about everywhere else I could think of that might contain the specific piece of information I needed. Just when I thought …
City Directories: This Underused Resource May Hold the Details You’ve Been Looking For Read More »
Do you know that Amazon.com offers tens of thousands of free kindle books – many of which are family history focused? From pedigrees to local histories, to reference manuals and even genealogy-focused fiction – these no-cost ebooks provide a wealth of information to family history researchers. No, we’re not talking about the Prime Lending Library …
This Google Trick Reveals Thousands of Free Genealogy Books on Amazon Read More »
The Ellis Island records website has long been a great place to find free ancestry information. Providing instant access to more than 50 million immigration records, it’s a vital resource for anyone with US immigrant ancestry from the late 19th and early 20th centuries (earlier records can be found here). A couple of years ago Ellis …
Did Your Ancestors Come Through Ellis Island? Here’s How to Find Out Read More »
This article is outdated. Please see our free genealogy section for updated information on this topic. Genealogy research can be challenging enough, but moving beyond the borders of your own country to discover records in other nations can feel downright impossible at times. If you have European ancestry, one of the greatest challenges can simply …
Have European Ancestry? Here are 30 Free Genealogy Sites to Search Read More »
Looking for a totally free way to access a variety of paid genealogy records, like those provided by Ancestry or MyHeritage, from your own computer? Well there’s good news, you most likely can. And you might be surprised to hear that the solution is probably only a few clicks away. An increasing number of libraries are now providing …
Access Paid Genealogy Databases for Free With This Simple Trick Read More »