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Explore centuries of resources.
Thousands of searchable collections of records from around the world
Census Records & Voter Lists
Census records are a cornerstone of family history research and Ancestry.com has the only complete online collection of U.S. Census Records (1790 – 1930).
Immigration & Emigration Records
Search ship passenger lists from Ellis Island to New Orleans and California, plus naturalization records, passport applications and more.
Family Trees
The world’s largest family history community shares its research, photos, stories and notes with you in these databases.
Newspapers & Periodicals
Discover more of what your ancestor’s life was like in historic newspapers — from big cities to small towns. Obituaries are updated daily.
Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records
The legal documents your ancestors left behind can be very beneficial to your research.
Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
Discover where your ancestors lived, how the area developed, how boundaries changed and where to find more records.
Birth, Marriage & Death Records
You’ll find millions of vital records on Ancestry.com — from U.S. states and countries around the world.
Military Records
Explore the largest collection of U.S. military records online — draft cards, service records, muster rolls, as well as global military records.
Photos and Images
From around the country and the world — photos provide rich context to your ancestors’ lives. You may even find a yearbook photo of Grandma.
Directories & Member Lists
Find addresses, occupations, family members and more in directories through the ages.
Stories, Memories & Histories
These resources can provide a rare glimpse into the lives and times of your ancestors.
Content collected from hundreds of sources, such as:
Get started in three easy steps:
- Enter what you know into an online family tree. Ask your family for missing details.
- Click on hints in your tree to find new information about your ancestors and search our record collections for more, starting with the 1930 U.S. Census.
- Explore the records you find for clues, add what you find to your tree and keep discovering. What can you learn from historical records?
Why Ancestry.com?
We’ve spent more than a decade building the world’s largest online family history resource — including historical records, photos, stories, family trees and a collaborative community of millions.
Or watch a quick slideshow.Stories from our members:
Peggy McDowell
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See all new contentWho do you think you are?
Miss an episode of the hit show Who Do You Think You Are? Watch it online. You can also view bonus scenes, episode recaps and more on NBC.com.
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Ancestry.com Tree to Go:
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Yearbooks Collection - UPDATED
Our newly expanded Yearbooks collection now has 58 million additional records that could include photos of your ancestors and friends, and maybe even your own awkward youth.
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More Improved U.S. Census Images
See the more than 5 million people enumerated across these three 19th–century censuses clearer than ever thanks to new images.
1820 U.S. Federal Census — IMPROVED
1830 U.S. Federal Census — IMPROVED
1840 U.S. Federal Census — IMPROVED
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Billions of
historical recordsWe acquire and digitize billions of historic records from around the world — from military draft cards to ships’ passenger lists to census records and many others.
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Powerful
search toolsOur search tools and the hints we provide in your family tree can help you easily find information about your story right from your computer.
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Online family trees
You can organize all your discoveries in your online family tree. And upload treasured documents, photos, stories and more as you create profile pages for your ancestors.
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An active community
of millionsOur massive community could help you find new answers. You might even run into relatives you never knew you had.
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An easy way
to shareYou can invite friends and family to share your discoveries in your online family tree, and even add their own.
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Discovery
after discoveryWatch as the stories of your ancestors come to life in your online family tree. And continue discovering more as we add to our collections every day.
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Content collected from hundreds of sources such as:
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