What is a Family Tree?

Family trees are graphical maps for tracing one's genealogy. By visually tracing the history of one's family bloodline and showing the connections between different family members, family trees help illustrate a person's ancestry.

Family trees can be as simple as some boxes with names and dates connected by a few lines or as elaborate as a pictorial illustration showing a family's roots through imagery. Some family trees outline just a few generations while other well-documented family trees date back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The extensiveness of a family tree depends on how far back the creator wants to go and how many branches of the family the researcher wants to trace.

Why Create a Family Tree?

There are numerous reasons why people choose to trace and illustrate their family trees. From understanding ones roots to leaving a legacy for future generations, creating a family tree can serve multiple purposes.

Knowing One's Roots

Oftentimes people begin to create their family trees because they feel the need to get in touch with their roots. Sure, most of us know who our parents and our grandparents were, but many people feel the need to trace their lineage beyond this. 
   
Who was your great-great grandfather? Where did he live? What did he do? Who were his parents and their parents before them? Researching genealogy and creating a family tree helps people understand who their ancestors were.

Restoring Families

Some people actually use family trees to restore broken families. When researching a family tree, you begin to locate the people who fill in the branches of your family's lineage. By knowing who your relatives are (both immediate relatives and distant relatives) you can begin to locate these relatives and bring your family back together. Whether you just want to expand your Christmas list or you want enriching relationships with your extended family, a family tree can help you reach your goals.

Entertainment Value

In addition to helping people learn about their family history, family trees can provide great entertainment value. Are you the descendant of a lost king? You might be! Is some famous pop celebrity a distant cousin of yours? Your family tree will hold the answer.

Medical Reasons

Sometimes people research family trees due to medical reasons A family tree can help you understand what diseases and medical complications you might be at risk of. If your mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great-great grandmother all had heart disease, your family tree would tell you that you'd better be on your best behavior when it comes to heart health. Or if a particular type of cancer has snaked its way through your family tree, you'd know to be on the lookout for that as well.

Creating a Legacy

Many people create family trees for the sole purpose of teaching their children who their ancestors were. There is much to be said about bonding with your children over a shared lineage. Teaching your kids about your family's history can be much easier with the illustration of a family tree.

The Evolution of the Family Tree

The family trees of today aren't the family trees of yesteryear. In fact, family trees have undergone quite the transformation over the years.  In ancient times, family trees were critical. Your place in society was largely determined by what your family tree looked like and who your ancestors were. As time went on, family bloodlines lost some of their significance and the importance of family trees went on the decline. After a while, it seemed that family trees would be neglected except for the occasional classroom project or the efforts of genealogy enthusiasts. Then, thanks to the advent of the Internet, the popularity of family trees was once again restored to its former glory.
   
As the Internet grew, more and more public records were made available online, making it easier to research a family tree from the comfort of one's own home. Then software companies and genealogy websites like TribalJunction.com began making family tree development even easier by creating family tree software that is effective and easy to use. Now creating a comprehensive family tree can take a matter of days or weeks instead of a matter of months or years like it used to. 

In Closing

While family trees used to be left to grade school students and those interested in genealogy research, everyone can now get in on the fun and enrichment that family trees have to offer. Whether you use your family tree to strengthen your sense of self or you use it to connect to distant relatives you never knew you had, today's tools for family tree creation are sure to make the process fun and enjoyable.