Citing Genealogy Sources for Regular People
Source citation is something of a hot button in genealogy. It's easy to become petrified you won't do it right, or to imagine that citing sources will take up all your precious research time. That's why I love the idea of our Source Citations for Regular People webinar with Shannon...
View Details
Six Classic Genealogy Brick Wall-Busting Tips
You probably have at least one unanswered genealogy question, an ancestor who's really difficult to trace, or a family with gaps in their timeline. These classic brick wall-busting tips come from our upcoming Conquer Your Research Challenges: Solutions and Advice to Overcome Your Genealogy Problems one-week workshop: Consult genealogy...
View Details
Packing List for Genealogy Research Trips
Genealogy travel requires a specific packing list, but you should be careful not to bring too much! Here are things I've found useful to bring (or not bring) when attending conferences and going to libraries over the years.
View Details
Polish Genealogy Research Challenges and Tips
If you have Polish ancestors, the country's historical partitions and border changes have probably presented some genealogy research challenges. Here's an example of why: If your ancestors lived in eastern Poland, records from 1868 to 1917 will be in Russian. Records from 1808 to 1868 generally should be in...
View Details
8 “Next Steps” For Starting Your Genealogy
This week, I had the pleasure of Skyping with a class of sixth graders working on a genealogy project. Here's a photo their teacher Tweeted: They'd already interviewed family members and done some research into census records, so after talking a little bit about how I got interested in...
View Details
Case Study: Clues to Unknown Children in 1900 and 1910 Censuses
Learn how former editor Diane Haddad discovered clues to previously unknown infant deaths in her family, thanks to 1900 and 1910 census records.
View DetailsSign up for the Family Tree Newsletter
Plus, you'll receive our 10 Essential Genealogy Research Forms PDF as a special thank you!
Get Your Free Genealogy Forms
"*" indicates required fields
Tips for Tracing Russian Roots
This morning's news had me excited about the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics this week in Sochi, Russia. Sochi is in Western Russia, on the Black Sea. Western Russia, including areas that are now independent countries, was the source of significant immigration to the United States in the...
View Details
Beyond-the-Basics Genealogy Resources for Tracing Massachusetts Ancestors
Around Thanksgiving, you might stand a bit taller with pride in your Mayflower Pilgrim roots. Whether your Massachusetts ancestors include Pilgrims (who were actually headed for Virginia, but strayed off-course during a storm), Massachusetts Bay Colony settlers, Irish or French Canadian immigrants, or other Bay State residents, you can delve...
View Details
8 Photo and Document Scanning Tips for Genealogists
Does a pile of papers and pictures stand between you and your dream of a digitized family archive? Digitized files are easier than their paper counterparts to share with relatives, back up, and turn into a family history book one day. Get started scanning with these quick tips from...
View Details
Unpuzzling Your Ancestors’ County Boundary Changes
Figuring out your US ancestors' county boundaries can be like doing a puzzle with pieces that keep changing size and shape. If one of your ancestral families settled early in what's now Morrow county in central Ohio, for example, they conceivably could've resided in—count 'em up—seven different counties without...
View Details