How to Trace Your Family Tree Author:American Genealogical Research Institute Staff How much do you know about your ancestors? Where can you go and how much would it cost you to learn about your family's history? Who were your ancestors, and where did they live and what did they do? — There aren't many alternatives to finding the answers to these questions: — You can poke around in family diaries or question your relatives (who... more » probably know as little as you) and find yourself with rather sketchy information.
You can hire a professional genealogical service for a cost to you of $7 to $10 an hour (costing you possibly thousands of dollars in the end). Or, you can read this book and learn how to trace your ancestry as well as learn a fascinating new hobby.
HOW TO TRACE YOUR FAMILY TREE will tell you what kinds of information family members can give you and how to question them, what is available from local, state and federal government sources, what printed sources are most likely to aid you in your search. There are sections on heraldry and the various genealogical societies, should your interests carry you further. Everything you need to organize your findings and put together your family tree is here in this one comprehensive guide.« less