May 29, 2026

When you sit down to write about an ancestor, you may have plenty of records in front of you, but still feel unsure how to turn them into something people will want to read. Census records, deeds, wills, military files, church registers, photographs, letters, and family notes can give you the facts, but a narrative has...

May 28, 2026

The National Archives can be one of the best places to turn to when you are trying to take family history research beyond names, dates, and family stories. It holds federal records, which can place an ancestor within the larger work of the United States government. That may include military service,...

May 24, 2026

This time of year always stirs up reflection, and not just because summer is starting to peek around the corner. Memorial Day is here—a day that means different things to different people. For some, it’s a long weekend. For others, it’s deeply personal.

But beyond the cookouts and parades, there’s a story to...

May 21, 2026

Tracing an immigrant ancestor requires more than simply finding a ship manifest or a naturalization certificate.  People crossing borders often changed or anglicized their names, traveled with relatives, and may have filed citizenship papers in multiple courts.  This section explains how to use U.S. federal records,...

May 19, 2026

At some point in every family history, progress slows down. You follow the records, build timelines, confirm relationships, and then you reach a place where nothing new appears. The trail fades. The records seem to stop. The same searches return the same results.

This is what genealogists call a brick wall.

Brick walls...