"How do I evaluate conflicting evidence in my family history?" Read on to discover tips from professional genealogists.A common medical aphorism states, “When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.” Essentially, this means that when making a diagnosis, doctors should avoid jumping to an exotic conclusion when there is a more commonplace explanation. The same principle applies when evaluating genealogical evidence.One of the most common mistakes a novice researcher can make is … [Read more...]
Mapire: A Free Tool for Historical Maps of Europe
Historical maps of Europe are an often underutilized resource in European genealogy research. We share a free tool that allows you to add European maps to your genealogy toolbox!Since most records were held on the town/parish level in Europe, locating the correct town is an essential first step before researching your ancestors in their country of birth. Over the centuries, borders in Europe sometimes changed drastically, so it is important to know to which country or empire your ancestral … [Read more...]
The Statistical Accounts of Scotland: An Essential Tool for Scottish Family History Research
Do you have Scottish ancestry? We share one of our favorite tools for Scottish family history research! One of the best resources for learning more about your Scottish ancestors’ day-to-day lives are the Statistical Accounts of Scotland. Written by Church of Scotland ministers in two different waves (the Old Statistical Account covers 1791-1799 and the New Statistical Account covers 1834-1845), these accounts are full of rich details about life in each parish including occupations, social … [Read more...]
Lesson in History: How Did We Get the 1790 U.S. Census?
The first U.S. census was taken on 2 August 1790 in response to the 1790 census act, signed by President George Washington, Vice President John Adams, and Speaker of the House Frederick Muhlenberg on 1 March 1790. This began the process of taking a census every ten years as mandated by Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution. The main purpose of the census was and is to determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives to balance the power between the federal … [Read more...]
Tracing 20th Century Immigrant Ancestors
Do you have 20th century immigrant ancestors who came to the United States? If so, you’re in luck, as there are a variety of resources available to help you learn about their journey to the United States and where they came from. The biggest challenge in tracing the ancestry of immigrants is that you must first identify their exact hometown (not just country or region) before you can locate records in their home country. Luckily, there were a variety of records created when an immigrant came to … [Read more...]
