Many people these days are researching their ancestry to try to discover their roots. Have you wondered why this is and asked the question, ‘Why research my family history?’
Genealogy has become the second most popular pastime in the United States today, gardening being the first.
Would you be surprised to learn that genealogy is also the second most entered term on the Internet?
In the beginning
Originally genealogy research was performed by the upper class of society.
However, over time it has become quite popular with the everyday person.
But thirty years ago this was not the case as there were not many resources available to the budding genealogist.
Visits to the local archives and looking at microfilms were the main form of information available. This would have taken a family historian probably all day to find out just one piece of information.
Nowadays with the help of the Internet and computers, we can find out pretty much anything about our ancestors and fairly quickly.
We just pop on the Internet, go to a genealogy search website, such as Ancestry.com, and find our ancestors pretty much straight away.
Also, genealogy software programs have made it remarkably easy to create and build a family tree.
And there are many for you to choose from which I have reviewed here on this site.
Further Information!
After reading this helpful guide why not head on over to the A Place For Mom website.
There you will find 25 Reasons to Learn About Your Family History.
Express Your Thoughts Below!
I would love to hear from you.
Rise of Genealogy Research
Nowadays we see far more people researching their family tree than ever before.
It seems that everyone is either doing it or is at least thinking about it.
After all, everyone that I have met seems to want to know where they came from and who their ancestors were.
Personally, it’s a very interesting hobby as you never know just who you will find and what you will discover about them.
Why the interest in genealogy?
So, what has caused this rise in interest?
There must be more than one reason as to why genealogy has become so popular in recent years right?
Well, there are at least three main reasons why we have seen a surge in popularity for this hobby.
3 main catalysts for this surge:
1. TV shows
There are numerous TV shows these days that popularize genealogy. TV shows such as ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ help a celebrity on a journey to explore their family history.
Other shows that have gained our interest include ‘Finding Our Roots‘ and ‘Genealogy Roadshow‘.
Regular TV adverts that appear by Ancestry have also sparked interest in this hobby.
2. Easy access to information via the Internet
By this method, people can quite easily get various bits of information regarding their family history.
They can also view family trees submitted by other genealogists on various genealogy websites.
Using the Internet is by far easier for people than traveling all over the country visiting archives, libraries, and cemeteries.
3. Commercials advertising DNA kits
When you have received your kit and have provided a sample of your saliva you then wait for a gene report.
The report will show you a map of where your ancestors are likely to have come from.
With the help of AncestryDNA, you can also connect with cousins who share a similarity with your DNA. The vast reduction in price has seen popularity with this type of research.
Reasons For Researching Your Family History
In the What Is Genealogy? article I suggested that people often research their family history because they may think or know that they are related to somebody famous.
Who knows, maybe you are related to Abraham Lincoln or have some connection to the 16th President of the United States.
This though is only one reason why a person may conduct genealogy research.
What are the main reasons then?
Confirm family tales and stories!
These may have been passed down through countless generations before coming to you.
Recited repeatedly over so many years inaccuracies may have crept into these stories.
You may be wondering whether there is any truth to these or whether they are just tall tales.
Obtaining certificates, records, or newspaper articles may help you prove these are true or not.
Trace ancestors’ journey!
Your ancestors may have traveled from the other side of the country and you may be wondering why this was?
Heck, they may have even traveled from the other side of the world.
Tracing your ancestors’ journey will give you an insight into their lives and the path of your ancestors.
You can then tell your relatives and any interested people the route of your ancestors to the present day.
Preserve the family’s history!
You and your close relations may have numerous family heirlooms and are wondering who they belong to, what’s their story and what to do with them?
Finding out all about these things in your possession can be rewarding.
You may find interesting facts along the way and you can pass these items and the stories attached to them onto future generations.
You probably would want to do this now before they become lost, damaged, or sold on.
Family history research passed down!
Maybe a relation of yours has been doing genealogy research for several years. They have then passed this on to you.
Your relative may hope with a fresh pair of eyes that new light may shine on their research.
After so many years looking over the same notes they may have become disoriented with it all.
You, therefore, have to pick up the mantle and carry on with the research.
Finding living cousins!
You may be wondering just who is out there?
Who shares a common ancestor with me?
It is always fascinating to find someone in the world and connect with them.
How different or how similar are they to you?
They may have interesting stories about your ancestors, be able to trace their paths, and also fill in gaps in your research.
These encounters will help enrich your knowledge of your ancestors’ lives.
Related to anyone famous!
I suppose shows such as ‘Who Do You Think You Are?‘ has sparked an interest in finding out whether there are any famous people in your family tree.
There may have been a significant person in your family history.
They may have been a general, a politician, or even royalty for example.
You may never know unless you start the journey and start tracing your family history.
Finally, the excitement!
We like to research and we like to make connections, often finding new information along the way.
However, for some, it can become quite obsessive.
The obvious signs are when you are still awake at 2 a.m. trying to fight to stay awake just to trace a new lead.
My Final Thoughts!
I can safely say that I have researched my family history because of all of the reasons that I have discussed above.
Maybe not so much about being related to anyone famous, but it is still interesting to know whether we are or not.
Even if we are not they may have contributed significantly to the community around them.
Proving the stories right … or wrong!
During my genealogy research, I have enjoyed proving stories that were passed down to me. It has also been a pleasure finding new stories that I can share with my family.
Tracing my ancestors’ journeys made me appreciate their lives more.
By looking at historical maps I could see the distances that they made to find work.
I could see what life was like for them. It made me understand them even more than just knowing just their names and the key events in their life.
Writing my ancestry grew into something bigger!
Originally I just wanted to write my father’s stories. But then this grew into a hobby. I wanted to find out everything I could about my ancestors.
Then I began to make unexpected connections with living cousins who shared with me their family history research.
I learned so much from them, which not only saved me time but also money as well. They passed onto me names, dates, and also certificates, which then I did not have to.
So why do you want to research your family history?
Thank You and Please Leave A Comment
I hope you enjoyed reading about why research my family history. If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below.
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1 2 Next »Great content, and I can see all the thought you put into this post! I myself have been wondering about researching my family history lately, after some surprising questions and tales arose lol I think it is very important to know your family history and pass it down generation to generation. The first family members that came to the U.S was my grandparents, so i have some of those stories and tales at my fingertips while others have to dig a little harder. Pshh, & i barley feel like I really understand those tales lol. Keep up the insightful posts.
It will be great for you to interview family members who know the story better. My Top 20 Family History Interview Questions post will help you prepare for that. Also, my How To Create A Family History Book - Part 1 post will help you write those stories into a book
My mother used to tell me that my family's ancestors on her side, used to be very rich but fierce traders. They spent most of their time on ships sailing to distant shores to make a living.
I don't know how true this is, which makes it quite interesting to investigate. You are right in saying that the internet makes these things much easier for the common man. Maybe I should start getting into genealogy as well!
Awesome post!
Some of my ancestors were sailors and to be on the seas was a hard life. So you had to be tough. Depending on where you are you should be able to get records of your ancestors on board these ships. I have done this. From these records you can see where they sailed from and disembarked and the type of ship that they sailed on. Quite fascinating really
I must admit that lately I've been thinking about having a blood test done. There is an increasing awareness to know and understand out history, after all knowledge is definitely power.
What if you need to trace illnesses? Knowing out past, whatever it might be, could solve many problems. Just by my maiden name alone I know I've Irish blood; and my skin tone, especially my grandfathers, suggests Spanish or Italian descendants.
You can very well use genetic information which can be very useful for furthering your research, as well as exploring hereditary illnesses.
Your ancestry sounds very interesting. Mine is a mixture of Welsh and English from both my parents
Thanks for a great read. My aunts researched my father's side of the family back for centuries.
It is a wonderful feeling to know the roots of your family. My ex-wife was Armenian and their family history was lost in the Armenian Genocide. She found some satisfaction in the history of my family.
Genealogy and researching family history is worth it for many reasons. The biggest reasons for me is the sense of belonging and the satisfaction that after I'm dead, my ancestors will see where I fit in the family scheme.
You have the same reason as me. I want to preserve my family history for future generations. If I don't do it now then my descendants will have holes in their knowledge about me and generations before me
Really good article.
Had no idea that researching your family history was this important. I've seen all the ads on TV and so on.
I think that it gets me really excited because I want to know where I come from.
Personally I don't really care if I have any famous people in my family history but just the fact of going back in time and knowing how they lived and who they were would be a great thing.
I have definitely been thinking about doing this and it's so easy with the Internet now as well. After this article I think I will sign up for it.
Do you have any recommendations of a good place to start?
I don't know how popular the reason is of finding a famous person but it certainly is a reason for some. Mainly because of the genealogy TV shows. It is very interesting and a great talking point if you are related to someone important.
I have created a list of points that you can follow. Please check out How Do I Start My Family History In 10 Steps article. That will be of great use to you. All the best with your family history research
Wow, your post has a lot of valuable info. I always liked the idea of genealogy and I even studied something about this topic in Genetics.
So basing on the things I learned there, I would add another reason to the ones you already have here. Diseases can also be identified through genealogy, especially because some can only appear to very different generations. Like, the great grandfather has X disease, no one else has it in the next 70 years, and then suddenly it appears in the great grandson. So that's also a very important reason why we should research family history, in my opinion.
I love your post, by the way :)
Thank you for sharing that reason. I will have to add it to the list. You are very right.
I am glad that you loved the post. Please check the rest of the site as I am sure there will be other topics that will interest you
Like the others I really like this site as well. The analysis of the genealogy is awesome. As stated in this post there are a great multitude of people that are looking for their ancestors story. I am also looking to see where my DNA lies. It just make you want to know more. Like I said this is a site the will thieve
I am glad that you really like this site. Genealogy is certainly an interesting topic and it can take you in a number of different directions. Who knows what you may find out. I will be exploring DNA testing in future posts so stay tuned
Genealogy has sure gotten popular, hasn't it? I never used to be interested in it, but my curiosity is growing. Several years ago, my sister had the opportunity to travel with a friend to Sweden and Norway. Well, our father is from Norway. So my sister did some research, and she actually found the house that our dad was born in, and talked to the neighbor family that new our family from there. How cool is that? I wonder what the odds of that were? Anyhow, cool site and thanks.
Genealogy has certainly gotten popular what with TV shows like 'Who Do You Think You Are?', and also adverts for Ancestry. That is pretty cool that your sister found the house where your dad was born in. Did she take a picture of it. That would be great to tell his story, but also to have a picture of the home as well
What a fascinating article! I agree with you - there are many good reasons to check out genealogy. I can remember several years ago, my dad decided he was going to research his genealogy.
We found out that my great, great grandfather used to own a large piece of land that was famous to the locals where we lived. I got such a kick out of it that for years I would tell people that my great, great grandfather used to own this! It made for very interesting conversation with a lot of people! Now I have that and can pass it down to my grandchildren. It was fun and well worth it!
Thank you for enjoying this article. It is I tereting what you may find out about your ancestors. They are also good starting points when talking to people. That's if the subject of genealogy does crop up though, lol.
You maybe I interested in my Top 20 Family History Interview Questions article. If you follow this advice you may find out more surprising stories about your ancestors.
All the best to your family history journey
Hello!
Interesting article on reasons for researching the family history and ancestors. For quite a while I have been interested in learning about my family history. Where is the easiest place for me to go and pursue that? I know there are really popular websites that advertise quite a bit but I didn't know how good they would be. How much effort and time does it really take in order to learn in detail about genealogy?
It certainly is an interesting hobby as it can bring up some quite unexcepted things that you never knew about your family. My How Do I Start My Family History In 10 Steps article can help you start your family history research. As yet I have not yet written an article about genealogy sites, although I have written this article Best Genealogy Software Programs - Your Top 5 which covers computer programs that you can use to build your family tree.
As for time and effort that is pretty much how much that you can put in. Obviously the more time you have then the more you can can find out about your family's history. These things do take time though. So far I have spent six years and found over 1200 relations. This number though covers many siblings of my ancestors and their descendants. It depends though whether you want to pursue this course of finding cousins, which I did.
All the best for you on your family history journey