Genealogy

FamilySearch has research guidance and a list of helpful Web sites that can aid your search. Download the free software to help collect and organize your family history. This site is from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in association with the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation specializes in tracking genealogy of Americans whose ancestors have come to the United States via Ellis Island. This link offers advice on what to expect from a genealogical search. It recommends helpful sites, many of which are listed in this guide. 

RootsWeb hosts a “Family Relationship Chart,” a tool to help you figure out how two people in your family are related. Confused about whether you are third cousins twice or three times removed? You'll find the answer here.

The Association of Professional Genealogists indexes professional genealogists by name, location, research specialty and geographic specialty. The list of specialist types is impressive; you’ll find links to specialists in adoption, the gold rush, Scottish clans and much more.

Ancestry.com helps you create a family tree for free. Subscribe with a membership (fee packages start at $12.95 per month) to access family records, get in touch with other ancestry researchers and, if you created a family tree using software from another Web site, upload it here. The site has an excellent search feature that allows you to search family trees, public documents, photos and more.

OneGreatFamily provides a family tree program that automatically searches for your family members in other family trees, and makes the connection when you have a relative in common. A paid subscription is required to use the site; monthly subscriptions start at $14.95, though discounted rates are frequently offered.

Family Tree Magazine has downloadable PDFs that can help you organize your family records. Look for a five-generation ancestor chart, a research calendar and a vital records chart.

Geni is a family tree building tool and family networking site in one. Start by building a family tree and expand it by adding relatives and their e-mail addresses. The site sends an e-mail invitation to your relatives, inviting them to join the tree and add other relatives. Each family member can add their profile to the tree, making it easy to learn more about each other. Watch your family tree grow and stay in touch with family at the same time.

Amiglia helps users create a family tree complete with pictures and contact information, and make family member profile pages with photos and bios. Share family calendars, import photos from other photo storage sites (like Flickr), and link your photos through albums so that other members of your family can see them. Get a one-year free trial, then pay $49.95 per year.

Zooof is an international site helping families to connect. Build your family tree, upload photos, and send your family messages. This site is not as easy to use as some of the other family-connecting sites, but would work for families that are located in different countries or that speak more than one language, as Zooof is available in more than 30 languages.

The Library of Congress has a collection of resources on significant people, places and ideas in American history. If a family member you’ve researched made notable contributions to American history, you just might find information on him or her here. Categories include “African American History;” “Literature;” “Environment, Conservation;” “Women’s History” and many more.

The National Archives preserves valuable historical records of the U.S. government, and provides a gateway to some of these records online. Find out what resources are available and learn where to find military service records, immigration records, land records and more.

Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild provides passenger lists of ships arriving in New York from 1827 to 1913. Be prepared to spend some time here, though; the site isn’t searchable so you’ll have to browse individual ship lists.

The Genographic Project operates in collaboration with National Geographic to trace human migratory patterns through the collection of DNA. Buy a kit for $99.95 to have your DNA analyzed; you’ll then be able to access information about the migration of your genes through time and location.

Family Tree DNA can analyze your DNA to look for genetic links to unknown relations and ancestors. Send away for a kit (starting at $129) to find out if you have any distant relatives already in the database, as well as your ancestral ethnic origin.

Genetic Genealogy is a service that helps you find out who your ancestors were based on genetic genealogy research. Using DNA testing, the service allows you to trace your ancestors and find out if you share an ancestor with other people who have the same surname. Kits start at $119.