I need to know how to find all my family history and who I'm related to.I'm only 14.?

Question

Im just trying to find out about myself.My parent's have kept me from everyone im related to.I did some research but im not getting anywhere.My parent's were born and raised in north carolina.I haven't met really any of my family I just want to know about it all so if you have any ideas on how I can obtain that info that would be great thank you!

Answer 1

Ancestry.com does NOT have open access to anything in the world, especially relating to living persons.  In fact, no web site lets you just type in your name, and find your relatives.

Since your parents make the choice to not be involved with family, that is their right.  I don't say it is good, but they may have a reason that you don't know.

Anyone suggesting that you find information without your parent's knowledge or consent, is messed up.  Sorry.

Answer 2

There are lots of websites.  They have various things, family trees, records, mailing lists and message boards.

Ancestry.Com has it all and I believe for the records they have the most of any website.

They have all the U.S. censuses through 1930.  The 1940 and later are not available to the public yet.  They also have U.K. censuses.   They have military records, indexes to vital records of many states. They have immigration records and others.

If it is too pricey, your public library might have a subscription to it.  

Now don't take as absolute fact everything you see in family trees on their websie or ANY website, free or paid.  The information is subscriber submitted and mostly not documented or poorly documented.  Even if you see the same info repeatedly by many different subscribers that is no guarantee at all it is correct.   A lot of people copy without verifying.  Also don't expect to find living people in the family trees as that can be an invasion of privacy and can lead to identity theft.

A Family History Center at a Latter Day Saints(Mormon) Church has records on people all over the world, not just Mormons. In Salt Lake City, they have the world's largest genealogical collection. Their Family History Centers can order microfilm for you to view at a nominal fee. Just call them or visit their free website, FamilySeach.org, to get their hours for the general public.

Usually the best thing to do is to get as much info from living family as possible.  When you state "My parents have kept me from everyone I'm related to" it leaves the impression that there are bad feelings.  If this is a school project and your parents feel it is an invasion of privacy they need to talk with the teacher and if he/she doesn't understand they need to then go to the principal, then if necessary the superintendent and the ultimate authority before getting an attorney would be the school board. Although I don't agree with their agenda, I have no doubt the ACLU would be more than happy to take the case.  Feel free to show this to your teacher.

If there are things your parents don't want to reveal to you at 14 or even if you are older that is their business and their business alone, not your teacher or your school.

Since you are only 14, I might mention you only use an apostrophe when it is a contraction like won't, aren't etc or when you denote possession.  For instance, you will only say parent's if you are talking about  the possessions of one of your parents, like your parent's shoes, shirt, car etc.  If you are talking about the possessions of both of your parents it would be parents' like your parents' home etc.   Parent's is not a plural form of parent, nor is Smith's the plural form of Smith or Jones' the plural form of Jones.

Answer 3

You could go to Ancestry.com!  They have great stuff there.  Just give them the date of your birth, your parents dates of births, and all your names, and you can find cool stuff!

Answer 4

Start with what info you have (parents names, date/places of birth) and check at your local library.  Most have a genealogy section and allow folks to use their access to genealogy sites.

You should start by asking all your living relatives about family history.  Then, armed with that information, you can go to your public library and check to see if it has a genealogy department.  Most do nowadays; also, don't forget to check at community colleges, universities, etc.  Our public library has both www.ancestry.com and www.heritagequest.com free for anyone to use (no library card required).

Another place to check out is any of the Mormon's Family History Centers.  They allow people to search for their family history (and, NO, they don't try to convert you).

A third option is one of the following websites:

http://www.searchforancestors.com/...

http://www.censusrecords.net/?o_xid=2739...

http://www.usgenweb.com/

http://www.census.gov/

http://www.rootsweb.com/

http://www.ukgenweb.com/

http://www.archives.gov/

http://www.familysearch.org/

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/...

http://www.cyndislist.com/

http://www.geni.com/

Cyndi's has the most links to genealogy websites, whether ship's passenger lists, ancestors from Africa, ancestors from the Philippines, where ever and whatever.

Of course, you may be successful by googling: "john doe, born 1620, plimouth, massachusetts" as an example.

Good luck and have fun!

Check out this article on five great free genealogy websites:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Then there is the DNA test; if you decide you want to REALLY know where your ancestors came from opt for the DNA test. Besides all the mistakes that officials commonly make, from 10% to 20% of birth certificates list the father wrong; that is, mama was doing the hanky-panky and someone else was the REAL father. That won't show up on the internet or in books; it WILL show up in DNA.

I used www.familytreedna.com which works with the National Geographics Genotype Program.

Answer 5

you can obtain good family infor. on ancestry.com such as census, birth/death,  marriage records. However, they are not free. Free infor that is accurate/detailed and user friendly is difficult to find these days. If you have a deceased person's social secuirty numb, you an get birth.death statistics for free Good luck.  .