Are you curious about how state capitals got their beginnings? Most have fascinating origin stories. Take Montgomery, Alabama, for example. With a history going back thousands of years, but only...
Search Results For - American history
Samuel Adams: The Signers of the Declaration of Independence #2
Samuel Adams was the second cousin of US President John Adams, and like his cousin, he served at the Continental Congress and was instrumental in America gaining independence. In fact, Samuel was...
Eliza McCardle Johnson: America’s First Ladies #17
Eliza McCardle was the wife of Andrew Johnson and our 17th First Lady. Though she came from an impoverished background and was ill for years during her marriage, she still managed to be an involved...
Diving Deep into the 1920 Census
If you are a veteran of using the 1920 US federal census or are just using it for the first time, there is hidden information in there that may prove useful to you as a genealogist. Here are some of...
Morse Code and the Telegraph
Today's modern telecommunications have origins reaching back almost 200 years. Here's the story...
Harriet Lane: America’s First Ladies #15
Harriet Lane was the niece of 15th US President James Buchannan and served as the bachelor president’s First Lady. She was popular, well-known, and admired here and in England. Besides that, she left...
A Closer Look at Oral Histories #1
Oral histories are a valuable genealogical resource. They give a unique perspective that only one person on the face of the earth could ever give, which is that of the person giving the history. They...
A Closer Look at Passenger Lists #1
Passenger records are an excellent source of genealogical information. People have been exploring the world by sea for thousands of years, and often used sea routes to settle in the new places they...
Pitfalls You May Encounter in Middle Name Research
Middle names are important genealogical research tools. They can tell you about the political beliefs, personal values, friendships, business connections, and even earlier generations of the family...
Five Census Record Questions That Are Frequently Asked
The U.S. Federal Census is one of the best known tools for researching your family history. Whether you are a novice or a veteran of using the census, there is always more to learn about this...
A Closer Look at Land Records #2
Tax records are one of the easiest types of land records to search, and also one of the first ones you should look at when delving into this kind of record. Tax records on land have been around for...
A Closer Look at Immigration Records #3
Ellis Island was the sole federally sanctioned and approved port of entry for immigrants from 1892 to 1924. It processed millions upon millions upon millions of immigrants during this time of...
Exploring Death Records in Your Genealogy Research
Are you using death records in your genealogy research? If not, you should. These are important records for beginning genealogists. Here's how to find them.
Caesar Rodney: The Signers of the Declaration of Independence
Caesar Rodney was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and one of Delaware’s most prominent and important founding citizens. While he never married or had children, he left a legacy of...
John Penn: The Signers of the Declaration of Independence
John Penn was a signer of the Declaration of Independence from North Carolina. From a humble background where education was not prioritized, he became a self-taught lawyer and one of North Carolina’s...