If you've ever transcribed the text of an old genealogy record by hand, you know how time-consuming the task can be. Even if you just plan to pull out the most important information from a record to include in your family tree the process can be daunting. Many of us simply never find the time for it - especially if we have many records that need full transcriptions. Luckily, modern technology has made it easier than ever to...
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As interest in family history research continues to grow more and more researchers are taking the time to educate themselves about genealogy best practices so they can grow an accurate family tree. Family historians are understanding the value of doing their own unique research, avoiding copying the trees of others, and taking more time to properly source their trees for the benefit of everyone. But a surprising number are not taking the time to do the most...
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By Alice Plouchard Stelzer The dictionary tells us that being invisible is being inconspicuous, unobtrusive, and unnoticeable. From a researcher’s point of view, tracing the life movements of invisible women creates many challenges. In the Preface to Notable American Women, editors Janet and Edward James said, “Biographies of women, especially little-known ones, pose special problems of research and interpretation. For women’s lives generally, documentation tends to be scanty.” Here are a couple of examples of lack of...
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I've been doing family history research for 20 years and, like everyone, I've encountered a few brick walls. Although I have been successful in breaking most of those down using solid research techniques, one or two remain. One in particular has haunted me for more than a decade - the parents of one of my 3rd great grandparents. Unable to locate this information I have had to leave this branch of my tree undeveloped.
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The Ellis Island records website has long been a great place to find free ancestry information. Providing instant access to more than 50 million immigration records, it's a vital resource for anyone with US immigrant ancestry from the late 19th and early 20th centuries (earlier records can be found here). A couple of years ago Ellis Island revealed a brand new website, including a revamped and improved family history records section. In fact, all of the Statue of Liberty...
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Thank you to the family history research site Crestleaf for sharing this fun take on why people didn't smile in old photographs. Ever wonder why your ancestors aren’t grinning from ear to ear in those faded black and white family portraits? Though there are many speculations and theories as to why people donned such serious looks in photographs during the 19th century, we’ve decided to debunk the myths to provide you with the truth behind those stern...
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Over the last couple of years, Family History Daily has published numerous articles about where and how to locate free genealogy resources. And now, we've created a tool that makes finding these free family history research sites easier than ever. We know that, while many of you use and appreciate paid sites, you also want to have easy access to no-cost alternatives. Additionally, many of the best records and resources on the web simply cannot be found on large paid sites....
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Looking for a totally free way to access a variety of paid genealogy records, like those provided by Ancestry or MyHeritage, from your own computer? Well there's good news, you most likely can. And you might be surprised to hear that the solution is probably only a few clicks away. An increasing number of libraries are now providing access to genealogy resources free of charge. Many can be accessed directly on their websites -- meaning that you can take advantage of the...
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Whether you're looking for an elusive obituary or a family scandal, free newspaper archives are an excellent resource for filling out your family tree. In fact, many online archives make it so easy to search decades of 'dusty' old papers, you might find that it's awfully easy to lose yourself in the past. We've gathered together a list of three of our favorite places to find free access to old newspapers. Each is worth checking out since they all have...
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Occupations are one of the most coveted gems of genealogy research -- they give us a glimpse in to the daily lives of our ancestors in a way that few other raw details can. But if you've spent some time digging through old records you've probably come across jobs that you have never heard of, most likely because their necessity has faded away with time. You've probably even found yourself frantically googling some of these positions to gain a better...
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