Should I try Ancestry?

Should I try Ancestry?

Ancestry is a fantastic free and subscription-based “all-in-one” website that offers a wide variety of government and local documents to search. It allows you to easily add people and information to a family tree, and now even offers DNA testing and linking to your tree to explore possible connections further.

Free Account:

If you are just wanting to input information, are you research into a physical form that you can easily review without having to dig through hundreds of pages of research, notes, and handwritten trees, then this is my recommendation.

Ancestry offers a FREE account where you can utilize a tree builder. Start with your lead person and add around them.

Just fill in the blank! I know you want to. We all love this part. Adding information and watching our tree come alive is so much fun. I never tire of it. You are going to want to add as much information as you can. If you only know the year for birth and death, then that is fine. Sometimes vague works, but it gives you a roundabout idea.

Same goes for location of death and birth. If you only know the state, then add that. Don’t not put something because you don’t have the exact information. The more the better. This helps to paint the picture or provide you with information you can follow when you go to look into this person more. I have plenty of times put Louisiana for someone only to come back later when I found some harder evidence of where they lived.

 After you add a couple of names Ancestry will ask you to pick a name for your tree. Just pick the Surname you are focusing on to title it. Don’t get complicated. You need something easy that works for you.

From here you are brought to your tree. You can add spouses, children, parents, and so forth. Add what you know and come back later to fill in blanks. But now you have a tree that you can build upon and it’s all in one location.

Also, if you mess up, you can delete people and edit information at any point.

If might look something like this:

Ancestry does offer a paid subscription of different levels of resources for across the United States and then another for overseas, as well as a Library edition which can come in handy if you don’t want to pay for it but maybe your local library has a membership. I recommend checking with them.

You will notice that in the photo above there are green leaves in the corner of several people. These are “hints” that Ancestry gathered from the information you have provided. This is their best guess, based off numerous sources of documents that might feature the person you have in your tree. Now, this is where a paid subscription becomes vital. To view these records, you must have at least a low tier paid subscription.

I did say Ancestry was an “All-In-One” website, providing a wide variety of government and local documents and this is where that comes in.

Below is an image of the major difference between subscriptions as of 08/04/2024.

A large portion of the collection in the U.S. can be viewed with the first tier paid subscription. To get international records you need to have at least a tier two, and to get FULL ACCESS you need the final tier, which allows you access to Newspapers, additional Military records and more. It’s whatever you prefer, but I recommend starting FREE and working up only when you need it.

I do not have the last tier subscription because I use my local library’s resources, as well as most my research genealogy projects are within the United States for now.

What I do love is that Ancestry will allow you to cancel your account at any time or even suspend it for a short break if you are too busy or money is tight. We have all been there, that’s okay. Even if you cancel the subscription, you can still view your tree. It’s your tree and your hard work, so it stays.

Finally, Ancestry DNA.

AncestryDNA is a service provided by Ancestry.com that uses genetic testing to provide insights into your ancestry and heritage. By analyzing your DNA, AncestryDNA can help you discover your ethnic origins, connect with distant relatives, and provide detailed reports on your genetic lineage. The process involves the following steps:

1. DNA Sample Collection: You receive a kit with a simple saliva collection tube. You provide a saliva sample and send it back to AncestryDNA for analysis.

2. DNA Analysis: The lab analyzes your DNA sample, examining over 700,000 genetic markers.

3. Ethnicity Estimate: You receive a detailed breakdown of your ethnic origins, showing the regions of the world where your ancestors likely came from.

4. DNA Matches: AncestryDNA compares your DNA with that of other users in their database, identifying potential relatives and providing you with a list of DNA matches. This can help you connect with distant cousins and build a more comprehensive family tree.

5. Genetic Communities: You may also receive information about genetic communities, which are groups of people who share common ancestors and often have specific historical and geographical backgrounds.

AncestryDNA enhances traditional genealogy research by providing scientific evidence of your heritage and connecting you with a larger network of potential relatives. It's a really amazing resource that just adds to your already hard work, but not necessary.

Either choice you make I strongly recommend adding Ancestry to your arsenal of resources on the hunt for your family history.

Happy Hunting