The Most Common Question
When people begin exploring family history, the first question is almost always the same: Where do we start? The answer is simpler than it may seem.
You start with what you already know.
Begin With Familiar Names
Start with yourself, your parents, or your grandparents — the people whose names, dates, and places you recognize. These known relationships form the foundation for everything that follows.
From there, family history grows outward one relationship at a time.
Follow Families, Not Just Names
This site emphasizes nuclear families — parents and children — because families appear together in records, lived together, and moved together.
By following family groups rather than isolated surnames, relationships become clearer and records make more sense.
There Is No Single Right Path
Some visitors begin with a family page. Others start with a place, a photograph, or a document. All of these paths are valid.
The goal is not speed, but understanding.