Starting with yourself and your direct ancestors, gather and record as much information as you can:
NAMES - first, middle, last, maiden, other
PLACES - rural area, city/town, county, state/province, country
EVENTS - birth, baptism, immigration, marriage, divorce, death
DATES - day, month, year, circa
RELATIONSHIPS - parent/child, spouses, siblings, partnerships, adoptions, etc.
Go to the Research page to find fillable printable pages or online trees to record your information.
There are many reasons to research your family's history. Maybe you need information on a medical condition that runs in your family. Maybe you want to understand history better by discovering your family's part in it. There are many FREE resources to begin your research.
The best place to start is with your own family. Ask the oldest members what they remember about names, dates, places, and relationships. This will launch your research as well as strengthen your relationships. You may find that someone has already begun this work.
Once you've done this, there are resources in the tabs to record your family tree information, and do further research. Above all, have fun!
We gratefully acknowledge the Native Peoples on whose ancestral homelands we gather, as well as the diverse and vibrant Native communities who make their home here today.
—NMAI Land Acknowledgment
(Particularly the Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation in San Antonio and South Texas)
