by Stephanie Joynes

Created on: August 15, 2008

Genealogy isn't an easy process, and often takes hours of research analyzing census records, marriage and death certificates, and even tax records. What can make the process even more frustrating are the costs that can add up just to take a look at these documents online. But there are websites out there that allow you to research your family tree at no cost.

The first and best free website is the National Archives and Records Administration, where they have created an excellent site specifically for genealogists. This site can be found at http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/ and includes records and advice for anyone researching any kind of ancestry. It includes census records, military records, passport applications, immigration records, and land purchases. This site is great for a beginner and an expert and provides great advice and guidance for anyone who is researching a family tree. It also provides excellent information for people of African-American and Native American descent, which has more challenging research issues due to the turbulent social histories of these ethnicities.

Another well known site for genealogy research is www.Ancestry.com and although it does a section that requires a paid membership, you can do some light research on their site with census records and birth, marriage and death records. What is great about Ancestry.com is that they also provide news of recently added records that were not previously available. This can be very valuable if you thought you had examined everything and came up with a dead end. Occasionally, Ancestry.com also opens up some records for a few weeks for free that wouldn't normally be available without a paid membership. So, it's good to check back with this site or get on their mailing list for updates.

If you know your family has remained in one specific area over a long period of time, or which state you need to research then go to The USGenWeb Project. This site is a portal to other state sites into one simple, easy to navigate site. This website can be found at http://usgenweb.org/ and it will provide you with state-specific census records, and more local county and city records. This is a great resource for anyone with a specific location, and you can also volunteer to help provide additional information that could help other researchers.

Genealogy is actually a very collaborative effort among other researchers who are willing to share their information. Many sites find ways to combine information and share it, so we can see how we all link to each other. One very popular site is the Family Search site at http://www.familysearch.org/ . This site allows you to download free software, do global research, and even take courses in genealogy. Run by The Church of Latter-day Saints, this site provides both education and excellent resources.

Genealogy doesn't need to be an expensive hobby. All you need to do is create friendships with several librarians, have patience, and be detailed and you'll slowly unravel the mystery of your family history.

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