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In depth
Ancestry (Ancestry.com) is the world's largest commercial genealogy database, with billions of records from around the world, including vital records, census records, military records, immigration records, and newspapers. It also offers DNA testing (AncestryDNA).
For CBD cases, Ancestry is a primary research tool: (1) US census records (1790-1950), (2) US naturalization records (particularly for index searches), (3) immigration records (ship manifests, Ellis Island, Castle Garden), (4) international records (UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Mexico, and others), and (5) family trees (which can provide leads, though they must be verified).
Ancestry is a subscription service ($25-45/month for US records, $40-60/month for worldwide records). Many records are also available for free at FamilySearch or through public libraries that offer Ancestry Library Edition.
Related terms
FamilySearch is the world's largest free genealogy database, operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with billions of records from around the world.
MyHeritage is a commercial genealogy database and DNA testing service, particularly strong in European records.
Genealogy is the study of family history and descent, the foundational research discipline for CBD cases.
A naturalization record is a government document certifying that a person acquired citizenship by naturalization, critical for CBD cases to determine if the citizenship chain was broken.
A family tree is a diagram showing family relationships across generations, the visual representation of the citizenship chain in CBD cases.
A pedigree is a documented line of descent, the formal genealogical record used to prove the citizenship chain in CBD cases.