1. There are many free resources to help you. Getting started can be overwhelming. One of the best places to start is familysearch.org. This website is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can search by name, country of birth date, marriage date, death date, or number of security social.

2. Another resource is free to the cemetery records. Using Google to locate the cemeteries where their families are buried. Search for cities and counties. I found the cemetery of Mount Pleasant, Texas, where they were buried the descendants of the family of White Traylor. There are separate cemeteries for whites and blacks, although the names family are the same. I called my dad and asked that he recognize the names I found. It was found that they were his uncles, so my uncles.

3. I found the spelling of names varies. As the investigation at some point end to the use of Federal Census records. In the first census of the names were indicated by the sound alone. When it comes to African American names, this variation in spelling of names is a real challenge. Here is an example of what I'm talking about: when I searched for the Traylor family members who ended up finding the name written "Trailer". If you look at my family tree website that I have compiled. Another example of the change in name spelling is the name of Fleming. I found writing "Flemming" and "flamenco". I suggest you make a list of as many as possible of the spelling of the name to search. Enter the name before you start your search.

4. Staff Ancestral File: I found this free software to help you organize. You can download software at failysearch.org. This software also compiles all their records in a format that allows you to create a web page. The software creates GEDCOM files. This GEDCOM file is a special format that the formats of the records found. You can also download and read these types of files from other websites. Click on Order / Download Products Link.

5. Rootsweb.com: This is a genealogy site that is available to all states. This website records the houses of all cities and counties. There are resources such Genealogical Societies and forums in which other researchers can communicate with you and you with them. Rootsweb.com is the "oldest and largest free genealogy site," aims to connect people and give them a forum to share research. (Tracing your family tree, Regina Lewis, AOL Online Advisor.

6. Discover the Freedmen's Bureau. "The full name of the Bureau was the Office of Refugees, Freed and Abandoned Lands often called Freedmen's Bureau was established in the War Department by an Act of 3 March 1865. The Office monitored all relief and educational activities related to refugees and freedmen, including issuing rations, clothing and medicine. The Bureau also assumed custody of the confiscated lands or property in the former Confederate states, border states, District of Columbia, and Indian territory. The office records were created or maintained by the headquarters office, the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Education of the State and includes personnel records and a variety of standard reports on office programs and conditions in the states. "This is the agency that maintains full of freed slaves and once assigned the 40 acres they were promised by President Lincoln. You will also find records of slave rebellions. These are events that are not common knowledge, but these rebellions happened and records were kept.

7. Things Ancestry.com – is worth paying child. Ancestry.com provides birth, marriage, U.S. military records, slave ship records, Ellis Island Records, and more. There is a section to save your search and start building your family tree. There are books and records updates that have recently been digitized. Pedigrees that others have created called "One World Tree". The following are available: Immigration and Emigration, Lands Tribunal and financial United Kingdom Collection and more!

8. Some census records are not available. Since the first federal census of 1790 to the 1930 census (the most recent census available to the public) records present a vast resource that is rich in personal and very accessible.

9. Native American Records – You will not find records of Native Americans, including Census information from federal records. So when you search for Native American records by state or county. http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/census/index.htm check this link. There are a lot of information!

10. Library of Congress: Slave Narratives This is an amazing find! There are audio files of interviews actual former slaves. They talk about their lives as slaves. Listening to the voices of former slaves really brings home how real that part of American history was. The Library Congress is an extraordinary resource for documents of all kinds.
Visit this link and listen: Type "Slave Narrative"

http://glendathomas.com/familytree

Venice – The Family Tree