Brand new genealogists, who are just starting out, have a ton of research ahead of them. How are you going to accomplish all this research, without spending a fortune to do it? One way is to start using genealogy resources that are free.
Many genealogists enjoy using Ancestry.com for their research. It is one of the most popular genealogy websites, and it has a vast amount of resources. Unfortunately, it isn’t a genealogy resource that is offered for free, (except for the temporary free membership). Genealogists who are on a budget may want to try a few free genealogy resources instead.
FamilySearch is another very popular genealogy website, in part because it is free to use. This is the website that has a bunch of volunteers working on indexing the names from the 1940 United States Census data right now. They have tons of records, and are constantly adding resources to their website.
Your local library might give you access to some free genealogy resources. Many libraries subscribe to HeritageQuest and/or World Vital Records, and allow genealogists who have library cards to access these websites from library computers. Some libraries also give free access to AncestryLibrary, which is a version of Ancestry.com that is for in-library-use only. What does your local library have available?
MyHeritage is another free to use online genealogy resource. It has access to records, and it will allow you to create a family tree on their website. The only problem I’ve had with this website is that many of it’s features are not accessible if you are using a Mac computer. If you are using a PC then you should be ok.
Find A Grave is an excellent resource if you are trying to find a photo of the tombstone of one of your ancestors. There is the potential that some other genealogist uploaded a photo of it to this popular website. Many of the tombstones have been transcribed, which makes it easier for genealogists to read them.
The National Archives is a great place to start if you are interested in searching for your ancestors in the data from the 1940 United States Census. In fact, it is the official 1940 Census website. This is the website that was so popular when it first launched that it caused a virtual traffic jam. Since then, the website has been updated and has become functional. It has a lot of information about the census, and some advice on how to search through it.
Image by 401K on Flickr