Family tree is a simple chart that represents family relationships in a tree like structure. The oldest generations are often presented at the top of the tree and the newest ones at the bottom of it. Thousands of people either go online or head to the archives to know more about their ancestors, what they did and who they were. It is completely natural to wonder about your roots. Thus, the best way to trace your family lineage is to create a family tree chart. Different steps can be taken into consideration to create a family tree and these are:
Basic background: The first step is to write down everything you know about your immediate family members. The main focus should be placed upon dates of birth, names, death, and marriage and where all these events took place. This is because geography tends to play an important role in tracing your family history since people also move around different places.
Talk to family members: the next best step in making your family tree chart is to talk to your family members, especially the older generations in your family who will remember the most of details about your entire family history. This is the main process which is key to establishing further research on your family lineage. So, if possible, it is best to get as much information from them as possible. You should also keep in mind that it is not necessary that all information you hear will be accurate. This is because, with time, memories fade away and lines with reality may get blurred. You will also come across different stories that have passed through different generations, so you will also have to check the veracity of the same.
Check for Artefacts: Once you have exhausted yourself obtaining knowledge store of your family, the next step is to look for artefacts in order to check for veracity of the information you have received about your family. These documents could range from heirlooms, school reports, personal letters, photographs, etc. These artefacts can reveal a great deal about your family’s history and help you build a free ancestry tree.
This process will enable you to create substantial amount of data and the best way to keep a track of the present details is to organize it in a highly visual manner by making a family tree. This chart will help you visualize how different family members are associated with one another. In other words, it’s a simple map of your roots.
Once you have created a family tree, it is time to look for online websites that can help you maintain your research. Simply having a family tree in your home will not be feasible as it is highly likely that the information can get lost again. The best way to preserve all the information is to create a free ancestry tree online.
One of the ways you can do is to use popular websites such as TribalPages to preserve and maintain your family tree knowledge.