It’s summer – time to relax, unwind, and decompress. But if you find yourself seeking something fun to do this summer, a genealogy project may be just what you’re looking for.
But, what is genealogy? Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. It’s essentially discovering more about your ancestors. My abuela is 6 years old. Her father is a baker, panadero, and his wife does not work. They are listed as black, and it’s noted that they cannot speak English. I’m reading the 1930 Census Records from the town of Cidra, Puerto Rico. My abuelo wasn’t born yet, but his family was listed in Bayamon, Puerto Rico’s records – his father was a farmer, agricultor, who grew tobacco and fruits. All of my great aunts and uncles were listed.
Reading this you can’t help but get chills down your spine. My mother couldn’t believe I was finding this information; she even got tears in her eyes. But I’m no professional genealogist, although I do enjoy history. I don’t even have connections in the government. I’m an average citizen using genealogy websites to learn about her family.
These types of websites allow you to search various records and collections for information about your family. After learning a bit about the various genealogy sites, there are two I found to be the most user-friendly and fruitful:
Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com is the leading genealogical data site, with some articles, instruction, and reference help. Collections include birth, marriage, and death records, U.S. Immigration Collection (with ship passenger lists, ship photos, naturalization records, etc.), U.S. Census records, and newspapers and periodicals. Family tree builder included. You can participate in a 14-day free trial, and membership can range from monthly, 3-months, or annual, all at less than $20.00.
Footnote.com
In conjunction with the U.S. National Archives, Footnote offers data, original records, images, and more. Collections include U.S. Census records, civil war records, city directories, naturalization records and various other government documents. You can purchase monthly or yearly membership, but if you find an image (an original census record for example), you can buy that image for only $1.95.
Happy family hunting!
Aug 08 2009
hey laura I love your articles. Having learned a little about you can you please write an srticle on how to succeed in academics, since you went to smith college, and now you are entering harvard university for medicine. Thank you.