FamilySearch.org is one of the best FREE resources for family history information out there. Create a free account and get started researching your family tree!
This free website is a hub for those who are doing African-American genealogy. It includes educational articles and resources, beginner guides and how-to’s, as well as access to send messages to other users. You will also find birth, death, surname, and slave databases here, all perfect for tracing your African-American ancestry.
This free website is a cornucopia of genealogical information from around the world. With different sections for countries, states, and counties, users contribute information to the site.
Archives holdings date from the beginning of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1628 and document the settlement of lands in Maine and Massachusetts, the arrival of immigrants, and the development of state government.
The National Genealogical Society offers a good place to start with this step-by-step article. You will also find book suggestions and other helpful resources.
This guide identifies a select list of resources of digital collections, subscriptions, print and online resources relating to American biography, family history, genealogy, and local history.
The Natick Historical Society receives many research requests relating to genealogy and family histories. One their website is a list of recommended resources that are available online to get you started. Please keep in mind that these resources are neither comprehensive nor complete, but they are a great place to start.
We provide expert family history services through our staff, original scholarship, data-rich website, educational opportunities, and research center to help family historians of all levels explore their past and understand their families’ unique place in history.
Family Tree Magazine will help point the way toward the best research tools and practices to trace your family's history. Each issue includes tips on locating, collecting, and preserving photos, letters, diaries, church and government records, and other documentation, plus fun articles about creating scrapbooks, organizing family reunions, and vacation ideas that combine history with leisure.
This book covers everything you need to know about starting a genealogical research project—including where and how to find information, how to communicate with other online genealogists, how to leverage social networking sites and apps, how to add digital images to your family tree, and how to build your own site for sharing information.
This manual presents the standards family historians use to obtain valid results. These standards apply to all genealogical research, whether shared privately or published. They also apply to personal research and research for clients, courts, and other employers. The standards address documentation; research planning and execution, including reasoning from evidence; compiling research results; genealogical education; and ongoing development of genealogical knowledge and skills.
One of the best ways to start your family history is by interviewing family members. This book offers you the latest best-practice techniques and know-how, and divided into structured sections, it provides you with the 100 most important questions to ask as well as additional context and cues for each question--what to look for and what traps to avoid.
This book covers everything you need to get started researching your family history or continue a project you've already started. It offers practical suggestions from an experienced genealogist, and detailed, step-by-step instructions for carrying out a quality family history research.
The Family Tree Toolkit guides you on how and where to begin, what records are available both online and in repositories, what to do once you find the information, how to share you story and, of course, how to discover the secrets of your DNA.
This newly updated guide reflects the site's many changes, with screenshots that demonstrate how to create family trees, navigate the site, and use Ancestry.com's search engines. A new section on Ancestry DNA will also help you dive deeper into your research, with detailed guides to interpreting test results and applying them to research.
This podcast will help you take ancestors from names on paper to multidimensional people who lived, breathed, loved, lost, and helped us to be who we are. Each episode offers help in using tools like Ancestry, FamilySearch, Newspapers.com, and Findagrave with best evidence and best practices.
Lisa Louise Cooke provides a step-by-step series for beginning genealogists—and more experienced ones who want to brush up or learn something new. I first ran this series in 2008. So many people have asked about it, I’m bringing it back in weekly segments.
Each monthly episode features interviews with genealogy experts and Family Tree editors on using genealogy websites, records and resources, along with sneak peeks at the latest tools from Family Tree.
The Genealogy Gems Podcast helps you make the most of your family history research time by providing quick and easy-to-use research techniques. Producer and host Lisa Louise Cooke brings you the best websites, best practices, and best resources available
Each episode includes the latest news from genealogical companies and organizations, listener email, and other content, such as book reviews and brief interviews. George and Drew delve into all kinds of topics that would interest every genealogist, from the beginner to the expert.
Generations Cafe is all about genealogy and family history. Discovering your family history should be enjoyable! Each episode will show you more about doing genealogy without the frustration. Host Amy Johnson Crow has been involved in family history for most of her life and is a noted researcher, blogger, author, and educator. She firmly believes that it is possible to do good genealogy research and enjoy the process.