The following are some of the things you could do to know more about your own family history. Interview, interview, interview It is advisable that you list all the family members you know and would like to conduct an interview with. You can also consider the other relatives you could interview via phone or thru email, that is if they would be unavailable in person. You have to do a lot of reading in order to gain knowledge and have a basis of your origin. Like for an instance, if you want to find out your real ancestors way back in the 19th century, a broad research is needed from the stored photographs in your house to the era of world war 1 and 2 and so on. Some people may see it as a waste of time but the truth is it can be rewarding in the end. Insert the names of your ancestors, the date of their births, deaths, marriage as you discover each detail. Make extra copies Any source material you gather is best to be photocopied especially if they are source printed materials. File them all in folders with appropriate labels such as the name of the relative. Tools, databases, software and charts are not the only ones that are offered for free on the net. More good news useful tips and classes on genealogical search are also offered free of charge! Some online classes include guide to genealogical research for beginners, advice for more effective searches, preparation of genealogical history to be published, and guide in searching indexes on family trees. Database set up by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- also known as FamilySearch.org. FamilySearch is a collection of programs and files that can help an individual in his search for his ancestors. Inclusive in FamilySearch are: Family history Library catalog, the International Genealogical Index, Ancestral file, the SSDI, church records from Scotland, and the US military index. Americans can trace their family records to as far back as the arrival of the settlers, as long as records are intact. If you have foreign roots, you might have a little difficulty since records may have been lost or destroyed or written in a foreign language. Unless of course, you have British roots.