The Biggest Mistake of Online Ancestor Hunting and How to Avoid It
When you find a mention of your family tree online it's thrilling. Especially if the site lists long sought-after dates, more names, and stories about your ancestors. Who doesn't like knowing the details of a Civil War soldier, a Revolutionary-era patriot, or a wild west frontiersman? Unfortunately, though, the information you find online can be correct, almost correct, or totally false - - and you have no way of knowing which is which. That's because most online sites don't include documentation on their web pages. Genealogy is a fascinating hobby that requires the skills of a detective and the scientific techniques of a forensic analyst. It's all about proving the connection from one generation to the next. You can guess about the connection, but until proven they remain guesses (albeit it good guesses). So, how do you avoid falling into the "no source materials" online trap? If a website has information about your family but no sources, you can either ...