Ancestry® Family History
Get the most out of the family history resources available on Ancestry and learn how to find generations of your family and their stories.
1931 Census of Canada
Searching the 1931 census for family members’ names can be a great start—or continuation of—the journey into your family history.
Featured Family History Articles
Immigration in the 1600s and 1700s
Immigration to North America in the 17th and 18th centuries reflects a complex blend of motivations. Does your family’s story include immigration to North America during the 1600s or 1700s? Immigration records on Ancestry® may help you piece together your family’s story.
Ancestry newspapers collections can help you to weave together a more nuanced picture of your family's story. You might even find a news item that helps you in your research.
Are seafaring ancestors part of your family heritage? Looking at the maritime industry across the different eras of U.S. history can be a fascinating voyage into your family’s story.
Throughout the 19th century, railroads became a vital method of transportation in the United States—for goods and people. If your ancestors worked on the railroads, they laid the tracks of your family history.
Getting Started with Family History
Vital Records
- Birth Certificates
- Death Certificates
- Death Notices
- Marriage Certificates
- Marriage Licenses
- Marriage Records
- Obituaries
- Social Security Death Index
- Vital Records
- Wills & Probates
Immigration
- Immigration Overview
- 1600s & 1700s Immigration
- 1800s U.S. Immigration
- 1900s U.S. Immigration
- Naturalization
Jobs & Occupations
Military
International Records
- 1930 Mexico National Census
- 1931 Census of Canada
- Puerto Rico
- The African Diaspora
- U.S.-Canada Border Crossings
Historical Events
Going Beyond Family History
Learn how DNA can give you new details about your family history or even help you connect to your past in a deeper way.
What makes you, you? Learn how certain characteristics may be passed down in your DNA.
Explore visual stories about important people, moments and movements in history.