Without them you wouldn’t be here. They’re your ancestors, the people lived in different lands in another time. Until recently, if you didn’t have photos or a written history, there was no way to “meet” them, but thanks to modern ancestry testing you can undergo ancestry testing and get familiar with your distant past.
Why are people interested in studying these people who are long vanished from the earth? It’s history, specifically your history. If only one of the 1000’s of your direct ancestors didn’t exist, you wouldn’t be here. If your great-great-great-grandmother never married your great-great-great-grandfather, then it wouldn’t be here to read this.
Apart from pondering the meaning of your ancestors existence, studying your family’s genealogy can be enthralling. There are a multitude of things you can learn, such as why your parents or grandparents grew up in the town or country that they did. For example, if one of the ancestors in your family tree was a Hessian soldier hundreds of years ago, fighting as a mercenary against the American colonists of the time, you may discover that this branch of your tree has grown distant (and not so distant) relatives in Pennsylvania, which was a hotbed of German immigration and settlement. This history of the Hessian soldiers is too long to go into here but suffice it to say that there were many who ceased to be mercenaries, and later fought for the Americans. Discovering gems like that story are surprisingly common after having ancestry testing.
Since every one of us has an immigrant background, searching back through your ancestors you can also learn why certain first names recur often your family tree or even your family’s original surname. It was common to Anglicize names that were hard to pronounce for native English speakers, and as the immigration officials of the past were always such, they often changed surnames as immigrants were processed. Discovering your true surname can also be a clue as to your ancestors job, as many surnames were taken according to the person’s occupation, such as Smith, shoemaker and so on.
Learning about your family’s genealogy can also aid in learning about medical conditions which may be passed on genetically. The abundance of ancestry testing kits and DNA testing available today has made this easier than ever. Historical interest aside it can help you discover if your ancestors had heart conditions, or a high incidence of cancer, or even histories of neurological disorders, all hiding in your distant past. Now as comprehensive as DNA fingerprinting is, it won’t reveal many medical conditions that may be lurking in your family genome. So how do you discover medical conditions of you distant ancestors? Well the ancestry testing can reveal family connections and with the discovery of new family members comes a rich source of stories, sometimes passed from generation to generation. Even without that know who your old ancestors were will allow you to research death notices in old papers, which can carry a wealth of information about the cause of death. Revealing the cause of death along the long line of your ancestors can let you make better decisions about your health now. If there is a prevalence of specific types of cancers in your family’s history, you can at least examine your lifestyle habits to see if you can reduce your risk. The promise of gaining this knowledge may even oblige you to participate in ancestry testing.
Getting started in investigating your genealogy isn’t as difficult as it used to be. In most countries there are lots of places to start. A common and free resource is to see if your community has a genealogy association, and failing that, even the local library. Genealogy associations are a big hobby for many people and most societies have lots of research materials to help your investigation. Specific libraries about ancestry are also common as well as big (and smaller local) meetings like the Genealogy Jamboree. The Jamborees are useful if for the no other reason than they will help you discover different genealogy groups in your area, as well as guiding you in how to go about getting ancsetry testing, and other DNA based methods of digging into your past.
It goes without saying that the internet is a prime resource where genealogy aficionados can find a wealth of information, either through access to online ancestry trees already constructed, or connecting with far-flung relatives that have had the same interest in ancestry testing and discovering their past.
The ancestry DNA tests available are numerous, but can be boiled down to a few common elements. Simply they assist in the discovery of your ancestors by examining your DNA. The DNA test is usually performed by collecting a few cells with a cotton swab from the inside of your cheek. These tests won’t give you laser targeted details about who and where your relatives are like you would expect from a paternity test, but they can identify what part of Africa your very ancient ancestors originated, or more recently, what Irish clan your ancestors were members of and even if you have any Native American ancestry along your lineage.
Once you get started with genealogy research and even have ancestry testing you will be fascinated. Not only will open a window onto brand new world of the lives of your ancestors, but you could even discover more about you and your relatives alive today.