Family Tree

Family Tree Magazine will help point the way toward the best research tools and practices to trace your family's history. Each issue includes tips on locating, collecting, and preserving photos, letters, diaries, church and government records, and other documentation, plus fun articles about creating scrapbooks, organizing family reunions, and vacation ideas that combine history with leisure!

Family Tree • JANUARY/FEBRUARY2025/VOLUME26, ISSUE 1

out on a limb

Letters to the Editor

Web Highlight: Your Year in Genealogy

Opinion: The Independent Genealogist • Why you shouldn’t put all your genealogical eggs in one basket

25 YEARS IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND

AncestryDNA ‘Largest Ever Update’

BLUESKY ATTRACTS GENEALOGISTS

COMING SOON: PRIVATE TREES AT FAMILYSEARCH?

Trouble at 23andMe

New Year’s Resolutions

Paying It Forward • Research reveals heroism, resilience and service are in this family’s DNA.

Back to BASICS • Grow a healthy family tree with these six beginner-friendly steps for starting (or restarting) your genealogy research.

VINTAGE GENEALOGY • This retrospective traces how genealogy has changed since 2000—and what we might see in the next 25 years.

PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY • Preserve the treasured photos in your collection for future generations in seven steps.

Photo-Preservation Q&A

GEORGIA

NEBRASKA

Find Your U.S. Ancestors

RECLAIMING ROOTS • These seven case studies share inspiration for and information about researching enslaved ancestors.

6 STEPS for Finding Enslaved Ancestors • Using some of the strategies discussed in this article, my cousin Floyd and I embarked on a journey of tracing our enslaved ancestors. Here’s how we did it, and what steps you can take to doing the same—no matter where or when you’re researching.

ISLAND-HOPPING • Set sail for your Caribbean roots! Follow the course set by these island-by-island guides.

CUBA

HAITI

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

JAMAICA

TRINIDAD and TOBAGO

treetips

Land Records

Say Cheese! • Smiles (and maybe some flash powder) light up this mystery group photo.

Finding Newspapers at OldNews

Saving Holiday Treasures

NOW WHAT?

Etiquette in Online Research

Too Few DNA Matches

ANCESTRY.COM • Tips for Searching Records, Building Trees & More