25 Excellent Resources for Researching American Ancestry

Written By Matt McGuire

General Genealogy Websites

  1. FamilySearch – Free census, vital records, family trees, and millions of digitized records. (FREE — ABSOLUTE BEST FREE OPTION

  2. Ancestry – The largest collection of U.S. genealogy records. (PAID SITE HOWEVER YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY MAY HAVE A FREE EDITION)

  3. MyHeritage – Family trees, DNA matches, and international records. (FREE)

  4. Findmypast – Strong for U.S., Irish, English, and Scottish research. (PAID)

  5. USGenWeb Project – Free county-by-county genealogy resources. (FREE)

  6. Cyndi's List – Thousands of categorized genealogy links.

  7. AccessGenealogy – Free census, cemetery, military, and Native American records.

Census Records

  1. National Archives (NARA) Census Records – Federal census records from 1790–1950. (FREE)

  2. FamilySearch Census Collection – Indexed federal census records.(FREE)

  3. Ancestry Census Collection – Federal and selected state census records. (PAID BUT MANY LIBRARIES HAVE FREE ACCESS) 

  4. Massachusetts State Census Records – Available through FamilySearch, Ancestry, and the Massachusetts Archives.

  5. State Census Collections – Many states conducted their own censuses between federal census years. (FREE)

Military Records

  1. Fold3 – Revolutionary War through modern military records. (PAID)

  2. National Archives Military Records – Service records, pension files, draft registrations. (FREE FOR VETERANS AND NEXT OF KIN)

  3. Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System – Union and Confederate service records. (FREE)

  4. U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards – Nearly all eligible men born 1872–1900. (FREE TO SEARCH) 

  5. U.S. World War II Enlistment Records – Valuable information on WWII service members. (FREE)

Immigration & Naturalization

  1. Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Database – Passenger arrival records. (FREE)

  2. National Archives Immigration Records – Passenger lists and naturalization files. (FREE FOR DECEASED ANCESTORS; FEES APPLY FOR LIVING ANCESTORS AND FOIA REQUESTS)

  3. Castle Garden Database – Immigrants arriving before Ellis Island (1855–1890). (FREE — America’s first immigration center covering 1855-1890)

  4. U.S. Naturalization Records Collections – Available through NARA, FamilySearch, and Ancestry. (FREE ON FAMILY SEARCH)

Newspapers & Local History

  1. Chronicling America – Free historic newspapers from across the United States. 

  2. Newspapers.com – Obituaries, local news, and family stories. (PAID; HOWEVER, FREE AT SELECT LIBRARIES)

  3. Library of Congress Digital Collections – Maps, photographs, manuscripts, and local histories. (MANY DATABASES ARE FREE) 

  4. Cemetery & Burial Records

  5. Find a Grave – Cemetery records, gravestone photographs, and family connections.

  6. billiongraves.com

Bonus Resources for Advanced Researchers

  • WorldCat – Locate genealogy books and local histories in libraries worldwide.

  • Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) – Historical photographs, documents, and archives.

  • Google Books – County histories, town reports, and family genealogies.

  • Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records – Federal land patents and homestead records.

  • DAR Genealogical Research System – Revolutionary War lineage research.

Records Every Genealogist Should Search

  • ✓ Federal Census Records (1790–1950)

  • ✓ State Census Records

  • ✓ Birth, Marriage, and Death Records

  • ✓ Military Service and Pension Records

  • ✓ Draft and Enlistment Records

  • ✓ Passenger Lists

  • ✓ Naturalization Records

  • ✓ Obituaries and Newspapers

  • ✓ Cemetery Records

  • ✓ Probate and Land Records

Matt McGuire
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