Nancy Hendrickson - 101 of the Best Free Websites for Climbing Your Family Tree

101 OF THE BEST FREE WEBSITES FOR CLIMBING YOUR FAMILY TREE

Nancy Hendrickson

Copyright @2015 Green Pony Press, Inc.

Fourth edition

All rights reserved.

T he publisher and author have attempted to be as accurate as possible in the creation of this book. The content is as accurate as possible at the time of publication. **If you find errors, please notify the author.

N ancy Hendrickson is the author of more than a dozen books and hundreds of magazine articles. She is also a contributing editor at Family Tree Magazine and has developed several courses for Family Tree University.

1. The Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com
2. The Genealogist's U.S. History Pocket Reference: Quick Facts & Timelines of American History to Help Understand Your Ancestors
3. Discover Your Family History Online
4. San Diego Then and Now
5. Historic Photos of Old California
6. Remembering Old California
7. Genealogy At A Glance: Civil War Genealogy Research

1. 101 Of The Best Free Websites For Climbing Your Family Tree
2. Cemetery Research on the Internet
3. How to Find Your Civil War Ancestor
4. Family Tree Case Study
5. How to Use Maps in Genealogy

I f you found this guide useful or if you discovered some previously unknown site that unlocks a door, please take a few moments to leave a review

Nancy

P.S. Have you picked up your free copy of my ebook: 21 Ideas for Your Blog, Book or Scrapbook ? Its all about ways to preserve your family history. You can get it at http://ancestornews.com

Nancy Hendrickson

http://ancestornews.com

San Diego, California

email me:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/genealogyteach

Introduction

Ive been ancestor-hunting since I was about 8-years-old.

Back then, I didnt know anything about GEDCOMs, pedigree charts, census data or compiling sources. But what I did know was I had an insatiable curiosity about the people who came before me - - thanks, in part, to the family stories spun by both my grandmothers.

One of them regaled me with tales of her own grandfather - a Civil War veteran of the Battle of Shiloh, while the other captivated me with stories of Indians in the wild frontier of Missouri. More importantly, both of them started me on a life-long path that has taken me to abandoned cemeteries, courthouse attics, out-of-the-way museums, and some of Americas most hallowed ground.

During the journey - particularly in the last five years - Ive discovered some of the best free genealogy and history sites on the Internet. These are the ones I use in my own research, and the ones I hope youll find as valuable as I have.

Although you can find these same sites on your own, its my hope that my finding, testing and compiling the best-of-the-best will save you all of the time its taken me to put this resource together - - and free you up for what you love best - - Finding Ancestors!

Note: Because the Internet changes so rapidly, if the links in this document go to a broken page, please let me know so I can correct it. Also - its possible for you to find a specific site, even if the page link is broken. Just type the name of the site into Google, i.e. plymouth colony archive project - and youll probably find its new home on the web. You can always contact me at

T he first 50 free sites are grouped by category:

• military
• social history
• immigration
• databases
• miscellaneous

The next 51 free sites are by state, with one outstanding site per U.S. state. (And because there were some sites just too good to be left out, youll find another 10 sites at the end!)

Ready for the hunt? Lets get started - youve got a lot of exploring to do!

Civil War Soldier

S OLDIERS AND SAILORS SYSTEM

Website: http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/

Overview:

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System is a computerized database containing very basic facts about servicemen who served on both sides during the Civil War. The initial focus of the site was a project to enter names and other basic information from 6.3 million soldier records in the National Archives.

Why This Site:

If your ancestor served in either the Union or Confederate Armies, youll probably find them here. (Records for Navy personnel are less well-documented and no target date has been set to complete this portion of the site). Not only can you find your ancestor, you can also see the regiment in which he served, the battles the regiment were in, and the names of other people in the regiment.

Search Strategy:

Once you find your ancestor, search his unit for other family members such as a brother or brothers-in-law. If youre interested in mapping his Civil War journeys, click the link to his regiment, where youll find a full regimental history and links to each battle the regiment was involved in. Also, dont miss the link to Prisons, where you can search for prisoners at Fort McHenry and Andersonville.

VALLEY FORGE LEGACY

Website: http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/

Overview:

The Valley Forge Muster Roll includes the names of soldiers, officers, camp followers, civilians and others present at the Valley Forge encampment for any period of time. The roster has been compiled from original muster rolls, payroll records, pensions, letters, orders and other primary documents of the Revolutionary War.

Why This Site:

Discover if your ancestor served with General Washington at the Valley Forge Encampment. If he did, youll be able to see the state from which he served, his division, brigade and company.

Search Strategy:

You can search by surname or only part of the surname, i.e. Hendrickson or Hend. You can also filter by state, but I suggest casting a wider net unless you have a very common surname. Click on the name of the brigade and youll get a wealth of information about the brigades make-up, history, and a map of where the brigade was encamped at Valley Forge. Click on the regiment and youll get a company history and the names of officers and staff.

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Website: http://dar.org

Overview:

Lineage-based organization, open to women who can trace their direct ancestry to a Revolutionary War patriot. By definition, a patriot is someone who aided in achieving American independence. For example, this could be a soldier, someone who supplied the Army, or a doctor who treated the sick and wounded.

Why This Site:

Even if you dont want to join the DAR, you can use the look-up service on the site to see if someone else joined using a line in your family. This can give you clues to tracing your own branch (or proving your Revolutionary ancestry)