Start Your Family Tree
A simple five-step plan for beginners, no prior experience needed.
1. Start with yourself
Write down what you know: names, dates and places for you, your parents and grandparents.
2. Talk to relatives
Older family members hold stories and details found nowhere else. Record conversations and ask about photos and documents.
3. Gather home sources
Birth certificates, letters, photo albums, family Bibles and obituaries are valuable starting points.
4. Search records
Use free resources like FamilySearch and national archives first, then a subscription service to go further. Compare archives.
5. Consider a DNA test
DNA can confirm relationships, break through brick walls and connect you with living cousins. Compare DNA kits.
Cite your sources as you go. Recording where every fact came from will save you hours later.