Researching and understanding family history can be both beneficial and fun. Tracing ancestors may prove to be beneficial in determining health patterns and risks. Finding information on long lost family members may also lead to the discovery of relatives that are alive today. Ancestry.com provides the search tools and extensive database of historical records that allow individuals to create and organize an online family tree and track ancestors with ease.
How to Use Ancestry.com
- Open a web browser and navigate to ancestry.com.
- Click the “Sign Up Now” button for a 14-day free trial. Click the “Subscribe” button located in the upper-right corner and select the appropriate membership (annual, three month or monthly) to subscribe to Ancestry.com. Enter the necessary account information.
- Place the mouse cursor over the “Family Trees” tab on the top menu bar and select “Start a New Tree” from the drop-down. Enter the name, birth date, birth place, death date and date place of the person that is starting the family. Check the checkbox that states “I am starting with myself” if you are the one starting the tree and click “Next.”
- Enter the information including first and middle name, surname, birth date, birth place, death date and death place (if they apply) of your mother and father and click “Next.” Supply a name for your family tree. Check the box “Allow others to see my tree as a public member tree” to share the family tree. Click “Done” when all information has been filled out.
- Enter the name and email addresses of family members or individuals with whom the family tree should be shared with and click “Send Invites.” Click “skip for now” to enter the invite information at a later time.
- Preview the family tree. Click on the “+ Add Father” and “+ Add Mother” buttons to add your grandparents information if you know it.
- Hover over the “green leaf” symbol of the name of a member of a family tree to find more information about this individual. Click on the resulting “# Ancestry Hints” link. A list of hints pertaining to individuals matching the family member will be displayed. Browse through the many historic records including census, birth, marriage, death, immigration and newspaper on Ancestry.com.
- Click on the “Add Hint” to add information from the hint to family members.
- Continue to add members to the family tree by selecting the “Add Relative” link of a family member.
Tips & Warnings
The following tips and warnings should be taken into consideration when using Ancestry.com
- Add photos, videos, media, and stories to members of your family tree by clicking on the “View Profile” link of the person.
- Double check the facts such as birth date, birth place and death date of family members. Entering the wrong information will create a family tree that isn’t accurate and isn’t yours.
Ancestry.com is a wonderful online tool that provides an extensive database of resources and records that make it easy to track and trace family history.
Diana Braun - I am a freelance writer with 4+ years of writing experience focusing on technology. I am well versed in the information technology ...
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