Why research your family tree?

Have you ever wondered about your ancestry? If so, you’re among a growing number of people who are using modern tools to become amateur genealogists, discovering many details about their histories - in part before even stepping outside their front doors! Even if the idea of hunting for long-lost, long-dead ancestors doesn’t appeal to you, perhaps the promise of a legacy for future generations will. It’s likely that one of your descendants – possibly even someone who hasn’t yet been born – will want to know about the family’s history, and you can be the person to provide the answers. Similarly, if you’re the last in a family line, researching or even publishing a family history can be a poignant way to make sure your clan’s mark is indelible.

Are you overwhelmed at the prospect of such a monumental task? Don’t worry; researching your family tree isn’t hard and only requires patience and investigative curiosity. The steps described below will start you on the road to unlocking your family’s past. Several of the steps don’t have to be completed in the order presented here, but each step is an important one in the road to discovery.

Step One: Establish a Goal

Before you begin the search for long lost ancestors, you should first ask yourself what your research goal is. Are you generally curious about your ancestry, or do you have a specific ancestor about whom you’d like to learn more? Is there a family story about being related to someone historically significant? Mentally answering questions like these will help direct your research and keep you from spinning your wheels.

Keep in mind that researching ancestry can be a task to last a lifetime. After all, with each generation you go back in time, the number of ancestors doubles (2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents and so on.) Don’t expect to ‘finish’ your tree – it’s impossible! - unless you have a concrete goal, such as to focus on the migration of a particular branch of your family.