Category: Genealogy Guides

10 Old Map Collections That Every Family Historian Should Know About Last Updated March 3, 2024 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) Ask any seasoned genealogist and they will tell you just how important maps are to their research. In fact, they will proclaim that you never truly…

Finding the Hidden Clues in First Names: A Starter Guide Last Updated February 13, 2024 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) Genealogical research teaches us that every family is unique and, as family historians, we embrace the belief that every child within the family should be remembered for…

10 Ways to Improve Your Family Tree in 10 Minutes or Less Last Updated November 13, 2024 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) Unlike most projects, you’re never truly “done” with genealogy. Tracing your family’s history can easily become a lifelong pursuit. Locating relevant records, uncovering family stories…

How a Research Log Will Transform Your Family History Research Last Updated August 20, 2021 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) This lesson about research logs is part of our online Organization for Family Historians course. To access the entire 36 lesson course, associated hands-on activities and quizzes,…

Use This Search to Access 1960-2010 Census Details Last Updated December 5, 2023 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) Every 10 years, family historians stop everything they’re doing to dig into the newest release of the U.S. Federal Census. The April 1, 2022 release of the 1950 census…

Stop Spending Hours Looking for Nonexistent Records: Do This Instead Last Updated March 15, 2022 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) Has a similar scenario ever played out in your personal genealogical research? You’re looking for clues to the identity of your great-grandmother’s parents. The evidence you’ve amassed…

How to Preserve Your Own Life Story, and Why You Should Last Updated April 8, 2022 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) What genealogist doesn’t wish their ancestors had left better — and perhaps more personal — records of their existence? Although a daily diary detailing their every…

Why Local Libraries and Archives Are Still Vital to Your Research Last Updated December 20, 2023 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) Ever-growing access to online records means that many family history researchers aren’t taking advantage of physical repositories like they used to. But, as we discuss in…

10 Things Family Historians Find the Most Annoying Last Updated February 6, 2024 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) OK, we promise this article is all in good fun. After all, we genealogists are usually fairly easy-going folks, and goodness knows we’re patient — after all, we’ve waited…

Feeling a Bit Overwhelmed by Your Research? Here’s Why Last Updated July 19, 2023 Ancestry 50% Off Gift Memberships for Black Friday (Gift to Anyone, Even Yourself!) Family history research is one of the most popular hobbies on earth, and one of the most enjoyable. Most of us look forward to those special moments when…