Recently, I discovered proof of a fascinating family story in an unexpected place. I had looked for this proof on death and marriage records, in the federal and state census, in newspapers, and just about everywhere else I could think …
City Directories: This Underused Resource May Hold the Details You’ve Been Looking For .
Anyone who has researched their African American ancestors knows what a challenge it can be, but as interest in family history research continues to grow more and more free resources are available to help you on your quest. If you …
10 Free Resources for Researching Your African American Ancestors .
Have you ever wondered about elections of the past and how they influenced our ancestors’ lives? What issues were important to the men and women in our family trees? What challenges did they face when it came to exercising their …
Voting Created Some Fascinating Genealogy Records! Here’s Where to Find Them .
Do you have royal last names hiding in your family tree? Do you suspect that some of your ancestors may have royal roots? If you can find one of the surnames from your family tree on the list below, you …
Could You Have Royalty Hiding in Your Family Tree? Check This List of Surnames .
There are few things more exciting in family history research than stepping beyond names and dates for a moment to record some personal details about an ancestor. Whether it’s an employer’s name, an unknown detail in a will or a fascinating …
Why These Draft Cards are Such an Important Addition to Your Family Tree .
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 …
10 Common 19th Century Occupations That You’re Not Likely to See Today .
Most family historians have ancestors who served their country during a time of war or peace. Others may have ancestors who were not members of the military but were nonetheless dramatically impacted by war — such as Japanese internment victims …
9 Free Military and War Related Record Collections for Genealogy .
Many family historians are not aware of the fact that millions of passport applications were collected by the US Department of State between the years of 1795 and 1925. These applications are kept by the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) and are packed full of personal information that can help you in your research.
Are you interested in finally searching out the truth behind that old family story about a Native American ancestor? Or perhaps you already know that the story is true, but you’re not quite sure where to go next. Luckily, there are many …
Do You Have Hidden Native American Ancestry? Here’s How to Find Out .
One of the most enjoyable things about doing family history research is discovering what your ancestor did to earn a living. But, very often, we find ourselves scratching our heads trying to figure out exactly what an old occupation actually consisted of. …
What’s a Snobscat? You’ll Need a List of Old Occupations to Find the Answer .