Are you familiar with the U.S. Special Census schedules? We'll show you how to read between the lines to glean as much information as possible about your ancestors. The census is the backbone of American research. It is one of the first sources that new genealogists learn to use, and one of the most useful overall. Perhaps because of this ease of use and accessibility, sometimes researchers can have a tendency to overlook less obvious notations, or to speed through the record a little too … [Read more...]
Jewish Genealogy and Family Tree Research
Understanding the basics of Jewish genealogy is essential for writing your family history and bringing your ancestors to life. Here are some of our tips on finding your ancestor's hometown and helping to navigate your research. In the last several hundred years, there were three major influxes of Jews into the United States (and countries like England and Canada).[1] The Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal were the first to arrive, coming during the Colonial years of American history. The … [Read more...]
The Basics of Tracing Your English Ancestry
Learn the basics of tracing your English ancestry with our tips and tricks. If you have ancestors from England, count your blessings. Thanks to that country's long history of early and consistent religious and government record-keeping, there are three major record groups for original research that are rich with genealogical information: church records, civil registration, and the census. While these documents were not originally designed with future genealogists in mind, they are … [Read more...]
Bridging the Gap: Writing a Family Biography Others Will Want to Read
Writing a compelling and interesting family history biography is one of the finest examples of experienced genealogists. Review our outline that will help share the stories of your ancestors. Sometimes as genealogists we get so caught up in collecting all the details about our ancestors that we forget the other important side of family history – sharing it with family members! If you have a closet overflowing with old documents or a database full of facts, and you decide you'd like to … [Read more...]
3 Gadgets and Programs for Digitizing Family History Photos
Digiting family history photos is a breeze with these gadgets and programs! If you’re faced with a box or trunk of old black and white photos from decades gone by, feel lucky. Many people would love to have such a treasure trove, even if it means taking the time and spending some money in order to preserve these photo treasures forever. Even if family photos have been lovingly placed in albums or scrapbooks, it is important to digitize them (and it’s also important to make sure that albums … [Read more...]
What is Social History?
As a subgenre of historical research, social history delves into the societal aspects of a certain time and place. Social history is different than personal history in that it looks at the wider population—structural change within society, social change, and social movements. It also deals with how things were for the common man during any time period. Social history focuses on the group rather than the individual, but it can be just as fascinating as learning one of your … [Read more...]
Death Certificates: Both a Primary and Secondary Source
When conducting genealogical research, it is important to remember that some documents are considered a primary source, and some are considered secondary. Our article, Evidence Analysis Explained: Digging Into Genealogical Sources discusses the nuances between the two, but suffice it to say that a primary source is one created as close to the actual event as possible with participants in that event providing the information. A secondary source was created after the event took place and by … [Read more...]
Understanding Genealogy Terminology: Pedigree Chart & Family Group Sheets
What's the difference between a pedigree chart and a family group sheet? We'll explain. Let’s imagine that you have been bitten by the genealogy bug: suddenly, you are very interested in where you come from and who your ancestors are, along with their stories. If you’ve never done any family history or genealogy work before, you might feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of getting started. But worry no more! We’re here to help you take those first steps into the exciting and addicting … [Read more...]