Free LDS Access to American Ancestors Explained

One of the new programs added to the list of FamilySearch.org partners is the New England Historic Genealogical Society website, AmericanAncestors.org. The sign in process is the same for this and the other partner websites. You need to log in to FamilySearch.org with an LDS Account. Access to the various partners is only free to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you have trouble signing into obtain a "free" account or if you get a notice about charges after signing in, I suggest you read my post about signing into MyHeritage.com entitled "Trouble with obtaining an LDS Account to MyHeritage.com?" The instructions that apply to MyHeritage.com, apply to all of the other FamilySearch partner programs listed.

There are certain important things you need to understand about each of these "free" accounts. Each of these partners, including AmericanAncestors.org, may have previous contractual obligations to other entities, such as archives or other repositories, that impose restrictions on the records available to a "free" account. As a result, there may be certain accounts which are not available.

In the case of AmericanAncestors.org, the limitations of the "free" subscription for LDS members are explained in a webpage entitled "Welcome to Your American Ancestors Affiliate Account!" Quoting from that webpage:

An Affiliate Account on AmericanAncestors.org offers qualified participants online access to hundreds of databases and millions of names, courtesy of NEHGS’ partnership with Family Search.org, as well as an introduction to a variety of additional genealogical services provided by New England Historic Genealogical Society.

The webpage also explains how to view a list of all the databases on AmericanAncestors.org. Here is the explanation:

Select “browse” and "databases" to see an alphabetical list of available databases, which can be searched by database name as well as location and date range. 

Each database entry provides links to database search, information about the database, a database browse section where databases can be stepped through on a page-by-page and volume-by-volume basis, and a means to select any database as a “Favorite.” Favorite databases may be searched as a group in Database search.

 There is also a list of the databases or collections that cannot be viewed by those with an affiliate account. Here is the list:

1. American Canadian Genealogical Society Index of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1840-2000
2. American Genealogist, The
3. Beekman Patent, The Settlers of, Vols. 1-8 [Dutchess Co., NY]
4. Connecticut Nutmegger
5. Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to N.E. 1620-1633, Vols. I-III
6. Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume I, A-S
7. Massachusetts State Census 1855
8. Massachusetts State Census 1865
9. Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910
10. Massachusetts Vital Records, 1911-1915
11. Massachusetts Vital Records Index, 1916-1970
12. Massachusetts: Grand Lodge of Masons Membership Cards, 1733-1990.
13. Mayflower Descendant, The
14. New England Historical and Genealogical Register (1847-present)
15. New Hampshire: Miscellaneous Censuses and Substitutes, 1640-1890
16. New Hampshire: Births to 1901, Deaths and Marriages to 1937
17. Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine
18. Rhode Island Census Collection: 1865-1935
19. Rhode Island Roots
20. Rhode Island Vital Records, 1636-1850
21. Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements, 1831-1920
22. U.S. City Directories (forthcoming)
23. Vermont: Miscellaneous Censuses and Substitutes, 1778–1822, 1840
24. Vermont Vital Records to 2008
25. Virginia Genealogist, The

The remaining list of resources are available to those with an affiliate account. In future posts, I will be highlighting some of the features of the American Ancestors website, so stay tuned.