Writing and publishing your genealogy is a fantastic way to preserve your family history for future generations and to share it with others. However, doing so is no simple task!...

More than 400 years ago, the Mayflower landed on the shores of Massachusetts with 102 passengers aboard. Today, there are an estimated 35 million Mayflower descendants worldwide. In this online...

Created by Lindsay Fulton, Vice President for Research and Library ServicesPublished: January 2021PDF Download, 20 pagesWhen most family historians think about the census, they think of the population schedule—the enumeration...

If you’ve ever stopped into a Scottish goods store, you may have been given the impression that finding your Scottish clan or tartan is as simple as finding your surname...

Created by Stephanie Call, Associate Director of Archives and Education at Wyner Family Heritage Center at NEHGSPublished: December 2020PDF Download, 12 pages The oral tradition of a family is perhaps...

Indexes are an unparalleled tool for genealogists. When they exist in record collections and published compilations, they can point you directly to an ancestor without having to go page-by-page. However,...

Unclear as to what date “21 1mo 1708/9” refers to? What about “4 Mary”? While dates are foundational to your family history research, they’re not always straightforward in the record...

Created by American Ancestors Genealogist Eileen PirontiPublished: October 2020PDF Download, 7 pages Historical bank records are an overlooked resource for family historians. When they survive, these records can provide information...

As genealogists, we may be the only people around who can find an upside to the old adage, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death...

If your ancestor had the right to vote, you can find a wealth of information in their voting records. These records can help you to verify the exact years your...

Virginia was not only the largest and most populous of the American colonies, but its population was also highly migratory within Virginia’s borders and beyond. Little wonder then that so...

Understanding where your ancestor is living at a given time can be a loaded question—and to answer it completely, you need to know the broader geo-political and historical context. And...