What is genealogy?

In a rigorous definition, genealogy is the study of individuals, ordinarily one individual and his/her family relationships. However, in a bigger sense, genealogy involves studies of the lives of several individuals and their families. This type of genealogy may also include connections of families with a broader history of the times and the places where they lived. Among other fields of inquiry that are used in genealogy research are history, law, medicine, biography and linguistics. In a very narrow sense, genealogy might just include a conversation with an older relative. On the other hand it can become a sometimes frustrating, other times very satisfying, life-long adventure.

Two phrases are sometimes used as synonyms for the study of one?s ancestors. These are genealogy and family tree or family history. Although they are similar in scope, they really refer to different types of study. Family history starts with one’s self then goes back generation to generation to the ancestor who immigrated to the country where the current individual lives. For instance if you now live in the United States, you would try to trace your ancestors back to the person who immigrated to the United States. Sometimes it is possible to trace your ancestors back further to the country from which they immigrated. (Note: when I was tracing my ancestors on my father’s side, I discovered that my great-grandfather came from Ireland; alas I haven?t been able to trace him back to other ancestors in Ireland, yet.) This information is put in a family tree, starting with you, then your father and mother, your grandparents (father’s father and mother and mother’s father and mother and so on.) The names of the individuals are organized in a tree-like structure; thereby name, family tree. You therefore end up with a complete lineage of one person, you.

Family Genealogy is more complicated. It is sort of family history in reverse; you start with the immigrant ancestor and trace generation by generation all of the descendants to the present. Obviously this type of research is more complicated as you have to find the older ancestor from whom to trace the generations. The family history is commonly done first

Information obtained from either family history or family genealogy is usually written down in a chart. There are two standard forms used. An Ancestor or Pedigree Chart records the direct ancestors of a particular individual. Some of you may be familiar with a dog Pedigree. It is the same idea. It shows whether a dog has champion ancestors and no deleterious traits. For humans, this type is also called a Family Tree (it is drawn as a tree with the person as the root and the ancestors branching off as in a tree). The other chart is a Family Group Sheet and it records basic information of a couple and their children. Templates of these charts can be obtained from the Internet. They can be downloaded and filled out with your information. Some are free; some are not.
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You can now download Family Tree Maker 2010 from Ancestry.com, instead of buying the software.  In years past, buying the DVDs was your only option.  Today, you can upgrade from a previous version, saving all of the work that you’ve already done or start fresh.  Here’s a look at what you can do with this new program.

First released in August 2009, the program not only allows you to incorporate files from previous versions, but also from other genealogy software, such as Legacy and Master Genealogist.  That is just one of the many unique features.

First of all, you will have full access to Ancestry.com.  If you’ve tried the free search or the 14 day free trial, you probably liked what you saw.  In the last week, over 10 million names have been added to trees stored at the interactive website.  Someone in your family must be in there somewhere, because millions of names are added every single week.

US census records dating back to the 1700s have now been transcribed and stored in the Ancestry.com database.  If you used the version available just a few years back, you may remember that the records went back to the 1930s, but that was just about it.

If you download Family Tree Maker, you will also have access to Jewish and African American family histories stored in the database.  Military records and immigration files, as well as the SSDI (social security death index) records will be at your fingertips.

Searching through any of these files on your own would be a time-consuming and frustrating uphill battle, but with the software available today, it’s a snap.  You start with what you know and grow from there.

Have relatives in the United Kingdom?  Were your ancestors from there?  Other databases are still asking for volunteers to transcribe UK census records.  If you download Family Tree Maker, you can have access to the UK census collection from 1841 to 1901 and even take a look at the original census documents.

Genealogy is more than just a hobby for some people.  It is more like a labor of love.  Some of the personal stories that you can read at the website are heartwarming and amazing.  Just recently, we read about a man who learned that his great grandfather was an American hero, when he had always been told that he died serving the German army in World War I.

So, you never know what you’ll learn when you download Family Tree Maker. Personally, I learned that my great grandmother was a Cherokee woman who died shortly after my grandfather was born.  At the time, in the area where my parents grew up, being of Native American descent was not a source of pride.  Our great grandfather remarried and we never knew about his first wife, until just a few years ago.

Sometimes, you learn more than your ancestor’s names.  You learn about your native culture and you find that it “fits”, somehow.  So, download Family Tree Maker and see what you learn.

Make a Family Tree Digital Video and Make Some Memories

If you want to make a family tree digital video, you need a good camcorder.  While you can shoot short videos with your camera or even your cell phone, if you want to record a piece of history, you need something better.  The latest thing is HD.

Unless you’ve been in a coma for the last few years, you know that movies, TV and even YouTube have gone high-def.  You might be able to watch your old home videos on your new HD TV, but what you shoot today is for future generations.  So, that’s something that you need to think about.

HD camcorders are available for less than $200.  That’s a stripped down pocket version, suitable for sharing laughs on YouTube.  For making memories, you probably want more and more is available.

For around $1000, you can get the Nikon D90.  It is noted for being the first digital SLR to be able to shoot video in HD, but it surely wasn’t the last.  Prices will undoubtedly go down as time goes by.  But, unless you want to wait until the kids are out of diapers, you might need to break down and buy something, today.

Of course, you could always consider contacting one of the Family Tree Digital Video companies.  They do all of the work for you.  The companies are able to take old photos of any size and printed on practically any type of media and turn them into professional videos in a matter of hours.

When Family Tree Digital Video was first introduced in 1985, it took three to seven days to complete a single project.  Company founder Rob Fritzer eventually honed the techniques and developed proprietary equipment that takes the wait time out of the equation.  So, if Dad’s birthday is tomorrow, you still have time to give him something priceless, if there is a franchise in your neighborhood.

Right now, the dream of hundreds of franchises all over the country is still just that, a dream.  Whether you want to have a DVD made or open your own franchise, you’ll probably need to go to San Diego, where the management offices are located.

As most people are able to do these things themselves, it’s kind of doubtful that the franchises will ever become as popular as Little Caesar’s or Subway, but you never know.  Bloggers that compare business opportunities have nothing negative to say about Family Tree Digital Video.

So, at least, it’s not just another scam.  It is a legitimate business opportunity for anyone that is interested in filming weddings, bar mitzvahs, christenings, birthday parties or corporate events under the umbrella of the FTDV umbrella and in HD, while making use of the company’s proprietary equipment.

The options that we have today for preserving memories and opening our own businesses are phenomenal when compared to what we could do 50 years ago.  Just imagine what it will be like 50 years in the future.  Our grandkids will surely laugh at how long it took to download something off of the internet.  Remember when?

However you decide to do it…whether you decide to buy a camcorder and do it yourself or contact a company like Family Tree Digital Video, don’t procrastinate.  Tomorrow could be too late.

Generations family tree software is one of many tools available for the amateur or professional genealogist.  Whether you are doing research for yourself or for others, software programs like this one make the whole process easier.

The first of these programs was introduced in the late 1970s, years before the typical American home was equipped with a computer.  One of the first brands to hit the PC marketplace was FAM-ware, released in 1981, strictly for the IBM systems.

FAM-ware has been updated over the years and is still available internationally.  Other brands include Relatives, GenoPro and Legacy.  Some brands are compatible only with Mac.  Others run on all of the popular operating systems.  That’s just one of the things to consider, before you buy.

Some of the programs can be downloaded, immediately, as soon as you pay for them, but your access to info will be limited to what is available online.  Generally speaking, searching is easier now than it was just a few years ago.  Less written information had been transcribed into online records.  So, even if you attempted to find your ancestors in years past, it could be worth your while to try again.

Generations family tree Plus is still available new and used, in limited quantities, even though it has been discontinued by the manufacturer.  The program works with the Windows operating system versions Me, 95 and 98.

It was originally available on Amazon.com in May 2002.  Many people that have used it are concerned about whether or not the data they have stored will be transferable into newer versions, if there ever is one.

Generations family tree Grande Suite 8.0 was originally scheduled to be released in June 2009.  But, the retail price was expected to be around $90.  Reviewers gave the software relatively high ratings, even before it was released.  But, if you try to find it for sale, today, you will likely be disappointed.

Family Tree Maker 2010 Deluxe for Windows did make it to the marketplace in August 2009 at a retail price of $70.  The software is published by Encore and is designed mainly to link consumers with Ancestry.com.

Purchasing the software includes a free three month subscription to Ancestry.com.  If you think that you can do what you want within that length of time, look for the software on sale.  Right now, you can get it for $40 from one retailer.  That’s a good deal, considering that the discontinued version of Generations family tree is still selling for $30-$40.

The question really is whether or not you need the actual software.  Is there any reason to buy the CDs?

Online downloads have become so popular that the latest programs are only available in that format.  Many companies offer a free sample version to let you give it a test run, before you buy the full version.

Another option is to make use of the free searches that are available online.  The problem with those searches, for most people, is keeping track of the information that you find in a cohesive way.  That is the primary purpose served by Generations family tree and similar programs.  They allow you to search, store and share, with just a few clicks.

There are a number of free genealogy databases online.  Organizations such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints provide the services to help people find out who their ancestors were and where they came from.

Census, birth, death, marriage and other records have been preserved for hundreds of years.   There are church records of people buried in cemeteries throughout the world.  The hard part for professional and amateur genealogists alike is that the records are stored in print form or in library microfilm.

Storing data in computer memory banks has only been common for the last few decades.  Data stored in other ways must be transcribed.  The transcription takes time and most of it is done by volunteers.

Currently, Family Search, the database maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is asking people from the US, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, Mexico and around the world to volunteer to help transcribe these records and make them available to the public.

There are US and UK censuses ready to be transcribed and indexed.  The indexing can be done from a person’s home, once the person is registered.  Once the information is transcribed it will be accessible from other free genealogy databases and from family-tree software that has GEDCOM capabilities.

Right now, the information available online is limited.  It all depends on whether or not someone has taken the time to upload the information.  Software tools make it easier for individuals to find out what information has been uploaded and connect to the source of that information.  In some cases that can lead to a complete branch of the family tree.

People before you, distant cousins for example, may have already done the searching or even paid for a professional genealogist to do the work for them.  Many of the completed family trees are published online.  In some cases, the free genealogy databases are composed of those trees or links to them are provided.

Much of the computer software on the market allows for access to those links, as well.  But, instead of you searching each database, the software makes it possible to search several free genealogy databases, as well as membership sites, with a single query.

Other than names, you will need some dates.  You should be able to start with your parents birthdates.

It’s frustrating when you don’t find anything on the first search, but don’t give up.

There are always other sources to search.  Much of the US Social Security Death Index from 1962 to the present has now been recorded online.  Older records are available from some software companies, such as Family Tree Maker, going back as far as 1937.

The Social Security Death Index can provide information such as the date and year of birth and death and your ancestor’s last place of residence.  Once you know the residence, you may be able to locate other information, such as an obituary, which will sometimes include the parent’s names and get you a little further along on your quest.

In years to come, more free genealogy databases will likely be available.  It may take some time and patience, but you should be able to find the missing piece that you are looking for.

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Options To Help People Connect With Their Roots

The “build family tree online option” continues to be popular.  The development of genealogical software first began in the late 1970s, in response to the new surge of people wanting to find their “Roots”.  Alex Haley’s novel and the resulting television mini-series are credited with that surge.

At one time, it was necessary to prove who your family was, in order to join exclusive societies, such as the Sons of Revolutionary Sires and the General Society of the Mayflower Descendants.  The societies were not always viewed positively in the US.

Too many people remembered the class structures based solely on heredity in France, Russia, India and other parts of the world.  They feared a return of the “caste” system, in which your heredity determined what career you could choose or whether or not you could attend college.

It is not possible to say that those fears were completely unfounded, as there was a good deal of discrimination in the US  at one time, based solely on national heritage, religion or race.  Today, we have anti-discrimination laws and most people are interested in their heritage, solely out of curiosity.

The build family tree online option takes a lot of work out of searching for your roots, although you will still have to do some digging on your own.  The databases are growing for many family-names, making things a little easier, but to find yours could be a struggle.

It is best to stick with a single name.  It is tempting to try and trace all of your roots, and you can always go back and do that at a later time, but the first step is to trace just a single branch of the family.

If you invest in build family tree online software, you can include many branches at a time.  But, it is most common to choose the father’s last name for the initial research.

That was customary in many parts of Europe, but other cultures traced a person’s heritage through the mother’s people.  In Spain, it was traditional to combine the mother’s and the father’s names.  This tradition resulted in very long names.

A person’s last name may also reflect their ancestor’s religion.  In some Indian families, for example, the names of the gods are used in the family surnames.  In many Asian cultures, the last name is not the family name, but the given name.

Americanized families often face difficulties when attempting to use build family tree online software, because of a lack of understanding between the two cultures.  The latest software makes that a little easier, too.

Since 1996, software programs have been able to communicate with each other through a specification called GEDCOM.  Short for Genealogical Data Communication, the specification was developed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The specification has been updated several times.  In the latest version, Eastern Asian names can be stored in the original language, rather than the English translation.

GEDCOM allows programs to import and export information, making it easier to share files and tree fragments between distant relatives and sometimes bringing them together for the first time.

Build family tree online features will no doubt continue to grow.  At some point in the future, you may be able to see one complete branch of your tree with a simple mouse click.

How to Research Your Family Tree

Finding Out About Your Ancestors

The best place to begin your research into your family tree is yourself. Researching your family tree may sound scary and as though it would be a big undertaking. It isn’t; all you  have to do is follow some basic steps.

Start your genealogy research by talking to as many older relatives as you can. Get the full names of your grandparents, your great grandparents, your great, great grandparents; as many as possible. Start with the oldest if you can; you will want their information before it is no longer available. However, there may be a point when a someone does not remember the name of his/her grandparents.  You may be able to find this information from other sources. Other important information is the maiden name(s) of female relatives. Names of children can also be important. You will want to construct a family tree as far back as possible.

Sometimes you may find information from documents such as a census. This information will usually include the names of children living in the household.  By learning the names of your ancestors’ children, you can verify if the person you are looking up is the right person within your family.  Also try to get as many dates and/or places where they may have lived.  In addition to information that is spread by word of mouth, look for written documents or old pictures.

Documents like Social Security numbers, birth or death certificates can also be very helpful in researching your family history.  A Family Bible can be extremely helpful because people often kept family records by writing them in the Family Bible. Pictures can also be helpful in a less obvious way.  Pictures may have a date on the back of them or a town or place.  You may also find clues in the pictures themselves. For example, if you find a picture of your ancestor on a trip to see the Statue of Liberty with a date on the back that says 1935, you then have a reference point to use with other possible sources. After you have done all you can researching your family history by word of mouth, you will then have to move on to other sources of information.

There are many different ways to search for your family history using the Internet. Some of the best and easiest are the sites devoted to genealogy. These usually cost a fair amount of money. However, with these, you have access to many public records, such as, census data from previous years, marriage, birth and death records, military records, immigration records, social security records plus many more. There are some free sites which allow access to some of the above information. However, for extensive research into your family tree, a site where you have to pay.

Another source of research information is the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.) They have records from many many places, about many people. You can access some of this information from their data bases, online or go to one of the sites where the records are kept (Salt Lake City, Utah and Mesa, Arizona are two examples).

A source which seems unlikely is Google. Google your name or the name of one of your relatives. You’ll be surprised at what you might find out. And this source can be a lot of fun to play with.

Researching your family tree sounds like a big undertaking and it can be. However, in the long run, you and your children will be glad to have it. Besides, it is fun, maybe you’ll find out that one of your ancestors is a very famous person.

Different hobbies need different supplies. For example, if you want to start experimenting with different kinds of cooking, what you’ll need is totally different from what you would need for a hobby of collecting baseball cards. Genealogy is basically collecting information. Therefore you will need to find ways of collecting that information.

Genealogy starts with word of mouth. Just by talking to your relatives, you can gather much information.  Saying that you need certain supplies may sound strange to someone when you say you are trying to get information about you ancestors. However, having certain supplies on hand can be helpful.  When you are first starting, you will need to keep accurate notes of what you learn.  Therefore, a good notebook would be a very basic supply.  Perhaps you could use a notebook with sections in it similar to what students have.  Then you can organize the sections into families or generations.

You will also want to collect information such as old pictures and documents. Speaking to family members is one way to obtain this information. Some kind of folder can be used to store these items.  A portable expanding file might be a good idea. Then you are able to keep all of your documents separate and organized.

It is very important to keep track of the people in the photos or which documents belong to whom.  So, make sure you always have scrap paper and paperclips on hand.  By using paperclips you can write the information about the document or photo and keep them together.  You may even want to make copies of the information you collect.  Using a scanner with a computer is a good way to make copies.  Using a scanner allows you to permanently keep the document on your computer and will allow you to print the document.  Printed documents are an alternative to use in family tree scrapbooks so that the original document does not get ruined.

After you have finished getting your basic information gathering supplies including gaining information from talking to family members, you will need to find other sources of information.  The Internet is probably the best and maybe the easiest.  You may not think of a website as a supply but with genealogy, it is.  Some of the sites are free, but most that are easy to use require a fee, sometimes large, sometimes small.  Different websites contain different types of information.

Usually the ones with the most features are the most expensive. However, you can often choose which type of information you want access to. (Example: census records for specific years and/or specific locations)  You can subscribe to a site by paying a monthly fee. This gives you access to information any time. Investing into these sites can make your job that much easier.

Along with the Internet, genealogy software can be extremely helpful. Sometimes web genealogy sites sell software that will integrate with what they have on their web site. Genealogy software allows you to house and organize all the pictures and documents that you may have scanned onto your computer.

Family trees templates are also very useful. It is much easier to have a template which gives you guidance into where information about each relative should go.  Sometimes trying to create a family tree yourself is tricky.    It can get hard trying to fit all the names and information about your relatives.  It also gets tricky trying to figure out whom you should include.  Your great grandfather may have had five brothers and each of his brothers had five children.  Should all of this information be included?  Templates, forms or charts that you can print out from the internet will solve many of these problems for you.

Although genealogy and making family trees do not require many different supplies, it is the supplies that make your research for your family history fun and easy to do.

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How to Make a Family Tree Scrapbook

Scrapbooks are a fun way to show off your family tree, especially after you have spent a great deal of time and effort on making it.  When you have all of the important pieces of the history of your family including photos in a scrapbook, you are keeping the information safe and allowing interested individuals to see it. It can also act as an heirloom for future members of your family.

Stating a scrapbook of your family tree is similar to starting a scrapbook on anything else.  You need to choose a blank book that is sturdy and large enough to contain the amount of information that you plan to put into it.  Some scrapbooks allow you to add extra pages. With a family tree scrapbook, this is a nice feature. It allows your descendents to add to the book you start.  In addition, if you ever find  more information that dates back further than information you already have, you can add that information to your scrapbook.  Similar to photo albums or other scrapbooks, you should start with oldest of the pictures or documents.

The first thing to do is decide how you want to lay out the pages.  Decide where on a page, pictures, mememtos awards, documents, text, etc. should go. You can standardize and have every page with the same layout or you can make different layouts for different information. You should be consistent, however. You might have a theme or several thems for your scrapbook and lay out pages according to a theme. It is important to organize the documents, pictures, mementos, awards, and anything else you are planning to include in your scrapbook.  By keeping things organized, it will be easier to put them in the correct place in the scrapbook and you’ll be less likely to lose or misplace something.

The oldest documents can be on the first page. These documents would be information about the oldest generation probably your great grandparents. If you have access to ancestors older than your great grandparents, start with that. Your layout should be organized to include pictures, birth records, death records, military records, etc. It is very important that you label each piece of information, including full names, dates, and places they may have lived.

One thing about researching your family tree is getting a chance to talk to some of your relatives and finding out interesting facts or stories about your ancestors.  You can find out a lot of information by just talking with people.  Although there are no documents as evidence, you can still put these memories into your scrapbook.  Write or print out the story of what you have heard to add to your layout.

After you do the first pages, the orders of the following pages are up to you and depend on the family you were researching.  There are several ways you can do this. You can create a chronologically accurate layout including both families or you can start on one side of the family, follow that down and then work on the other side. For example, if you start with your great grandparents on your mother’s side, you might want to continue with that side of the family; their children and so on down to your mother.  You can then start your father’s side with the documents that go back the furthest.

In this article are a few important tips you should follow when creating a family tree scrapbook. Devote each page of the scrapbook to either a couple or to each person.  Make sure that the names and dates are clearly visible.  Above all, take time and patience to complete this project.  It is a keepsake that will last for generations.

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Sometimes it is hard to keep all of your family tree information neat and organized. You may have been able to acquire so much information that it gets confusing. You want to be sure that all of the information is accurate and organized.  Genealogy software and the Internet can be a tremendous help in keeping your information organized.

As with most anything, you will want to get the most value for your money when considering which genealogy software to purchase.  Family Tree Maker is one of the best software packages to help you build your family tree. You find out more about it from Ancestry.com.  Go to the website www.familytreemaker.com.  You can purchase it online. Many helpful features are available  Among some of the features is the ability to upload your own audio clips, pictures and videos.  Other features that help in organizing information are creating a time line, reports, charts and a family tree. In addition you can add and store information from other sites into this program.  In addition, since it is from Ancestry.com, you can easily use the two together. You can import the Ancestry family tree you created.

Other features allow you to create slideshows and publish books. You can also easily search the internet and connect to other genealogy sites like Rootsweb in order to collect and save vital information.  With this software you can also add specific information for one person at a time.  You can then build on that person’s history by adding their parents, their siblings, their spouse, and their children.  You can add important dates to the person’s profile such as birthdate and date of death (if applicable).

Another feature is the ability to add information about where they lived.  After this data is entered, Family Tree Maker software will show on a map where that place is.  This software allows you to publish your family tree online for other members of you family to view.  Being able to share what you have put together is one of the most rewarding parts of creating a family tree.  Of course with all of these wonderful features there is a price.  The software is not too expensive but you might be interested in finding a free software for your computer that will do almost the same things.

One source of free family tree software that can be downloaded is Family Tree Builder from My Heritage.com.   It is available at this website www.myheritage.com/family-tree-builder .  Naturally you will not get all of the extended options that you would get on software that you have to pay for, but it is free  This software does allow you to do the basics such as upload documents and pictures as you can with Family Tree Maker.  Also with Family Tree Builder you can publish your family tree on the internet for your friends and family members to view.  You can also tag people you recognize from a photograph with Family Tree Builder software and make that information readily available.