Researching your family history can be a fun and enlightening project. Among the names, dates and places you can often uncover interesting stories and learn where your ancestors came from. There are a variety of ways to learn about your family history without subscribing to a paid service.

Contact Relatives

Often, the easiest way to get free family history is from your oldest living relatives. Visit them and make a tree with the names of as many relatives as you can piece together. Find out the date and location of birth, death and marriage, if possible. Ask to see heirlooms such as a family Bible or collection of newspaper clippings that may have more information. Even a few small pieces of information can help you in your search.

Research

While there are plenty of genealogy websites that will help you find your family records for a price, there are many free resources. Consider the type of information you're looking for first. Records pertaining to birth, death and marriages can often be found among the state's public records, provided that you know what state to check. The USGenWeb Project is a website offering extensive resources sorted by state and county. Here you can find biographies, cemetery listings, military records, obituaries, local history, photos and newspaper clippings. If you find compelling information not included in the project's database, you can submit your own records. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints offers another free online service with indexes on birth, marriage, death, census and church information. This site lets you search by name and year, which is especially useful if you don't have specific information about the location of the individual you are researching.

Visit Locations

You may come up with interesting leads that will prompt you to visit a historical location that was important to your family history. On site you can often find information that isn't available elsewhere. You can take rubbings of your ancestors' headstones or visit local libraries and browse archived newspapers. You may even be able to locate land deeds and other interesting historical documents. The library is a good starting point for this as well. In historic locations, look for features like commemorative plaques, which may provide additional clues to piecing your family history together.

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Beginning to Research Your Family's History

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