From the beginning of the internet, there has been a constant increase in the amount of free information online. Genealogical research has benefited from free access to an amazing number of freely available, valuable online resources.
You can begin to find free resources by including the word "free" in your online searches. For example, when looking for free access to U.S. Census records, one could use the search term "free us census records" and find some helpful responses. You might be surprised, however, to discover that the U.S. Census Bureau does not keep copies of the U.S. Censuses. Copies of census records are kept by the U.S. National Archives. A complete searchable copy of the available U.S. Census records can be found on the FamilySearch.org website.
Why aren't all genealogical resources free?
Maintaining a large collection of historical records online is time-consuming, expensive, and difficult. Some of the most difficult parts of gathering a large online collection of genealogical records involve negotiating with the original record repositories, digitizing the records in a way they can be made available online, and then paying for the access and storage of the digital records. Large online genealogical resource companies, such as MyHeritage.com, invest huge amounts of money to make their record collections available, and part of their income to support these collections comes from user registration fees.
Largest online collections of free genealogical resources
Some of the largest free online record sources are not specifically identified as genealogy related. Genealogy records are basically history and large collections of historical records will always be valuable sources of genealogical information. Perhaps, the largest collection of free online records is the Internet Archive with billions of pages of archived copies of web pages and millions of additional digitized books, videos, audio files, and other historical records. Europeana.eu has an extensive collection of historical items from archives, libraries, and museums in Europe. The Australian National Library's collections in the online website Trove.nla.gov.au has a huge online collection, but much of the access is limited to those with library cards.
How to get free access
Although access to the resources may be free, some websites may require registration or may only offer limited access to certain records. Additionally, some websites may have restrictions on use, so be sure to read the terms of service for each website before using their resources. Some of the genealogy websites that charge fees for access offer free access to certain records for promotions on holidays. Follow the MyHeritage blog for updates about seasonal free record access.
Additionally, some of the record collections on MyHeritage are always free to access. These collections are marked with a green "FREE" label on MyHeritage's Collection Catalog.
Free access to newspaper archives
There are some large online free newspaper archives such as the U.S. Library of Congress' Chronicling America website. With millions of searchable pages of newspapers across the United States, this is a valuable asset. In addition, the Library of Congress has funded free digital newspaper collections across the U.S. Many of states have taken advantage of the funding and now have substantial digital collections such as the Utah Digital Newspaper Project. Search for collections with the search terms "free state digital newspapers."
Free international collections of genealogical records
There is an international WorldGenWeb Project non-profit, volunteer-based organization founded in 1996 and dedicated to providing genealogical and historical records and resources for worldwide access. The goal is to have every region in the world represented by a website and hosted by researchers who are familiar with the region. There is also a USGenWeb Project that provides free access to historical records and other resources for genealogy research and has state organizations in every state and in many counties throughout the country.
Libraries that provide access to free genealogical resources
The Digital Public Library of America provides free access to millions of digitized books, maps, photographs, and other historical materials from libraries and archives across the United States. Many other libraries also have substantial free, online, digital collections
Locating cemeteries and graves around the world for free
BillionGraves.com has a free cemetery and grave locator that will show you the GPS coordinates for millions of graves around the world. BillionGraves.com is an official partner of MyHeritage.com.
Free websites with DNA information
The International Society of Genetic Genealogy Wiki has a wealth of information and links about using DNA testing for genealogy. The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) was founded in 2005 by DNA project administrators who shared a common vision: the promotion and education of genetic genealogy. Their mission is to advocate for and educate about the use of genetics as a tool for genealogical research, and to promote a supportive network for genetic genealogists.
Explore more about accessing free genealogical resources
Here are some additional helpful links to websites that have information about free genealogical resources.
- MyHeritage blog: free record campaigns are publicized on the blog and on MyHeritage's social media channels
- AccessGenealogy
- Genealogy Research Guides
- Library of Congress
- JewishGen
- Olive Tree Genealogy
- US National Archives
- The Freedmen's Bureau Records
- Allen County Public Library
- The New York Public Library
- Ontario Ancestors