Many people hear stories of their long-gone relatives passed down from generation to generation, but don’t actually have a complete idea of who their ancestors were and what kind of lives they must have lived. With the current resources available to us, it has never been easier to start researching your ancestry, and in this article, we’ll discuss exactly why and how you should start. You can always go to this review of Ancestry DNA as well.
Why Research Your Family Tree?
What’s the point in researching your family tree? After all, most of the people on there will no longer be alive, and how can this actually enrich your life? Many people have the same concerns before they start researching their family tree, but it can actually have profound effects on your life. Fans of the show ‘Who do you think you are’ will know that finding out your family’s history can have heartfelt emotional effects on those doing the searching. Finding out more about where you came from, and what the lives of your relatives would have been like can help you to discover more about yourself and connect to roots that you may not have even known that you had.
How to Research Your Family Tree
The best way to research your family tree is to start with birth-records, which are exactly what they sound like. Most births, especially in recent past, have been recorded in some way, it’s just a matter of finding them. However, for some it may be tricky to find birth records, as before the 1900’s the US didn’t keep official birth records, so in this case it is best to look into local newspapers that would have carried birth announcements.
What to Do with the Information
Once you’ve gathered all the information on your family tree that you can find, the next question is -what to do with it? There are several options depending on how important the information is to you, and how much information you have. Some people decide simply to live with their knowledge about their family tree and spread it on by word of mouth to their children and other living relatives. However, the more popular option is to preserve the information, either digitally or in book form. There are many different ways to do this, such as using an online service like MyCanvas, or transferring all of the information onto your computer and storing it on a memory stick or hard-drive.
DNA Testing
DNA testing is a fairly new addition to the world of genealogy research, but it’s become an explosive success. With at-home DNA testing kits, you can find out your ethnic background, migration patterns of your ancestors, and living relatives that you had no idea even existed. It’s no wonder they’re so popular. If you are struggling to find out information about your family history and want to know more about where you come from, a DNA test kit may be the way to go.
Hopefully these tips have increased your curiosity, so why not get started with researching your roots today!
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