The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog
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4 Tips to Trace Your Roots Through American Independence
Can you find a Patriot or a Loyalist in your family tree? Start with these genealogy tips! Postcard depicting the Battle of Lexington, Massachusetts. Courtesy of The New York Public Library. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) …
The Truth About DNA and Famous Connections
Have your DNA results suggested a connection to someone famous? We hope this article helps you dig a little deeper into those eye-catching matches—whether it’s a royal ancestor, a legendary musician, or a historical icon—a…
What's New
Meet Laura, Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists
Laura’s journey into genealogy didn’t come from family tradition—it came from a longing for connection. Born in New Jersey…
Meet Katrina, Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists
Katrina Wilkins became entranced with learning her family’s history from a young age. While visiting her paternal grandfather, she wou…
How To Use Clues from Family Stories in Genealogy Research
Image source: Library of Congress How can family stories lead you to accurate genealogy research? Think about the story that repeatedly come…
Getting Started
End-of-Life Guide: Honoring Loved Ones and Preserving Their Legacy
Key Steps to Navigating the Loss of a Loved One, Honoring Their Final Days, Preserving Their Legacy, and Beyond Navigating the loss of a lov…
How To Preserve Family Heirlooms In a Digital Era: An Interview with Artifcts
How do you preserve family heirlooms for generations to come? From saving memories while decluttering to preserving the value behind your th…
How To Hire a Professional Genealogist
How do you know when and how to hire a professional geneaologist? While researching your family history, you will inevitably encounter situa…
European Research
Babies Left Behind: researching unknown G.I. fathers in the United Kingdom during WW2
At the beginning of 1942, the first group of American G.I.s landed in the United Kingdom to help the war effort. Before long, there were US …
How To Understand German Handwriting and Gothic Scripts
Image courtesy of Penn State University Libraries Digital Collections Free Resources for Old German Handwriting and Fraktur If you hav…
Intro to German Genealogy: Practical Tips for Family History Research
Have you arrived at a place in your family history research where you need to learn about your German ancestors and how to find them? If the…
Italian Heritage Travel: The My Bella Vita Experience
In this article, we interview founder of My Bella Vita, Cherrye, about their Italian Heritage Travel tours. If you have Italian ancestry and…
3 Essential Websites for Exploring German Parish Records
How and where do you find German parish records online? We'll walk you through how to use the top 3 websites to help you find your German an…
3 Keys to Discovering Your Hungarian Jewish Ancestors
In this article, Legacy Tree Genealogists Kathryne Thorne helps you understand three key ways to find your Hungarian Jewish ancestors. …
DNA
The Truth About DNA and Famous Connections
Have your DNA results suggested a connection to someone famous? We hope this article helps you dig a little deeper into those eye-catching m…
Searching, Sorting, and Filtering DNA Match Lists
This article was written by Paul Woodbury, a member of our Legacy Tree Genealogist Research staff. It was originally published in NGS Magazi…
DNA and Genealogy Cold Cases: Five tips for using genetic evidence to break through brick walls in your family tree
In real life and in fiction, DNA is used to solve crimes that have stumped investigators for years or even decades. But what if the cold cas…
How To Achieve Genealogical Proof: DNA Analysis, Annotations, and Citations
The Genealogical Proof Standard outlines five components necessary for achieving genealogical proof: Reasonably exhaustive research &n…
How GEDmatch Can Amplify Your Genealogy Research
How can GEDmatch help you to accurately identify DNA matches? We recently sat down with GEDmatch's Tom Osypian to understand how individuals…
What It Was Really Like To Find My Biological Father: love and persistence find a way
The following is a personal account of one of our clients who shares her experience of finding her biological father. You can read her story…
British Isles
5 Keys to Finding Scottish Ancestors with Genealogist Jamie Kay
We sat down to learn more about finding Scottish ancestors with one of our professional genealogists, Jamie Kay. Here's what we learned abou…
Irish Family History: Online Resources to Help Find Your Irish Ancestors
Until recently, Irish family history research was considered problematic. But in recent years, individuals can do the bulk of their research…
Where to Start With Your English Ancestor Research: Interview with Researcher Kimberly Gilboy
English ancestor research can be simplified when you understand the importance of historical dates and which records will hold the informati…
Researching Enslaved Ancestors in the former British Empire
Researching enslaved ancestors in the former British Empire is not as hopeless as it may initially seem. With well kept records and archives…
Uncovering Hidden Jewels in British Isles Genealogy Research
Legacy Tree Genealogists’ Sharon McWilliams specializes in British Isles genealogy research. In this article, she discusses enlighteni…
British Genealogy Brick Wall Breakthrough: A Case Study
Legacy Tree Genealogists’ researcher Jamie Kay shares a case study that demonstrates how she resolved a “brick wall” to ex…
AI and Genealogy
Part Two: Using AI in Genealogy Research Best Practices
In part one, we explain the basics of artificial intelligence and how you might begin to think about using AI in your genealogy research. He…
Part One: AI Today and How to Use AI in Genealogy Research
AI technology impacts every area of our lives today and is growing so quickly it can be difficult to keep up, especially with AI in genealog…
Using AI Effectively for Genealogy Research
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for genealogy research is still in its infancy but gaining momentum as each new tool is released, in…