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How Far Can Ancestors Be Traced?

Have you ever paused to think about your ancestors? Who were they, how they looked, and where did they live? In normal life, you can only have information about your grandparents and sketchy knowledge about your great-great parents if you are lucky. It is the study of family history called genealogy that allows you to learn about your previous generations, their affiliations, and their achievements in life. But do you know how far ancestors be traced through the study of family history? Let us find out in this article. 

Start your Journey through Free Genealogy Websites at Home

If you are thinking it is going to be a very difficult journey trying to trace the history of your family, there is some good news for you. Don’t worry, it is going to be a cool and interesting journey that begins and also ends at your own home. Yes, there are lots of free genealogy websites that allow you to trace your family history in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a connected device and some free time. Isn’t it wonderful that you can learn about your roots without having to move out of your house and also without sweating?

How Far Back Can You Go?

You can begin with your family tree as you know about your parents and probably a little bit about their parents also. To go back in time, you need to take the help of the census records. Two of the most important factors affecting your search for family ancestry are as follows.

  • Availability of Census records
  • The places where your ancestors lived

Your hunt for your ancestors becomes successful if your forefathers lived in a geographical area or location where record-keeping was done properly. In general, it is possible to trace your ancestors back to the middle of the nineteenth century as the practice of keeping public records of births, marriages, and deaths started in 1837. The first census was carried out in the country in 1841. It means you can trace your ancestry back to this time in history if your forefathers lived in a place where public records were maintained. 

A DNA Test can Take you Far Back

If you have traced your ancestors as far back as the middle of the 19th century but you have a desire to go back in time even further, a scientific DNA test is the best option for you. Many ancestry companies help people interested in knowing about their ancestors by conducting a DNA test on them. They will ask you to give them a sample of your saliva from which they will find more about your DNA to trace your ancestors. It is possible to extract your DNA from the saliva sample and learn a lot about your past with the help of a technique called genotyping. This method of tracing your family history can take you back as far as thousands of years. 

You can start your journey of tracing your family history sitting at home. It is possible to go back to the middle of the nineteenth century when tracing your ancestors as the practice of record-keeping started in the country in 1837. DNA testing is the method for you if you want to know about your ancestry thousands of years back in time.