Access Genealogy is the largest free genealogy site that does not have a parent subscription service. Started in 1999 by one man with a simple 50-page spread, the site has grown, with over 250,000 pages and millions of records now available. Take a look at some of the features found on the site:
- Genealogy records
- Native American records
- Ancient cemeteries records
- Free charts, correspondence record, and research calendar
Access Genealogy is well known for its in-depth Native American research, a feature we have not found on any other genealogy search site. If you are interested in tracing your Native American lineage, you would really benefit from the tribal history pages, articles, and rolls of Native American treaties, trade, land claims, and other activities.
Access Genealogy has 12 main search categories, each with their own collections of data. For example, the main category would be biographies. Once you click on that category, all of the collections will appear with an option to browse. You can also search all of the collections by entering your surname. There are also genealogy collections specific to the US. All of these records are organized by state. Access Genealogy contains many links to other resources for finding information on ancestors. Even though Access Genealogy is a free site, much of the search database is from Ancestry.com. You will need to pay a subscription fee to view some of the information.
One great thing about this site is its ability to integrate multiple new databases with current data. This of course makes the information more useful to the researcher. Access Genealogy's database of information focuses on the US, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Australia, Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Tasmania and Wales.
Access Genealogy has a plethora of resources organized by states - if you know where the person you're looking for was born and lived, you can easily access links to several different types of information. The site has a large section dedicated to DNA. This section outlines the steps in which you want to take if considering joining the genetic genealogy community, and we have a guide to the best DNA testing kits if you need to know more.
There is also an online history and genealogy library that can be accessed as part of the genealogy records section on the site. This library has a total of 457 books available to preview online. The links take you to specific locations like a state or country, or topical pages such as the courts of the state of New York. You can both read and download these pages, all for free.
This service provides links to sites with information concerning countries around the world; however, this aspect is not as extensive as the information regarding the United States.
Should you use Access Genealogy?
Access Genealogy is a great resource for genealogists - plus it’s free. We suggest that you at least check out the free materials and online library. As with many free sites the content is limited without joining a subscription service, and Access doesn't contain as much information as some of the other websites. It's a good place to start, but we recommend pairing it with a full, subscription based service for the best results.
