Take the time to explore every one of these websites that covers a state (or territory) where your ancestors lived.
All summaries written by Rick Crume
Each year, we scan the field to find the best genealogy websites for your US-based research. State libraries, archives and historical societies are digitizing their holdings and turning those digital images and indexes into searchable databases. Meanwhile, our picks for the best sites for Michigan, New Hampshire and US territories include fruits of the labors of some ambitious individuals.
Truly a bonanza for genealogists, these collections include everything from diaries, Civil War letters and handwritten family histories to oral histories, prison records and records of the enslaved. All of these sites are free. Those new to this year’s list are marked with a star (•). Many are updated often (even daily), so it’s worth checking them regularly for new material.