American history was made with our immigrant and ethnic ancestors. Everyone has immigrant ancestors. It doesn't matter if your ancestor came to America in the 1900s, the 1600s, or were here to meet the rest of the settlers, all American ancestry leads somewhere else.
Read MoreLand records are one of the most underutilized resources in genealogy, believe it or not. What once brought immigrants to America, the ability to obtain land, is often completely forgotten in research. Established countries, like Europe, almost all land had been titled for years, even centuries. Laws of primogeniture (inheritance by only the FIRST SON) ensured that properties wouldn't be split up into smaller parcels, but that also meant that other children couldn't inherit the land.
Read MoreUS Federal Census reports are an important part of a Genealogist research. Census were taken every 10 years, providing the opportunity for genealogists to follow families back in time. They would provide locations of ancestors, age information, occupations and geographical data. They also hold clues about an ancestor's educational background, and even military status. So, with Census documents holding so much valuable information... it's so frustrating when you run a name search for an ancestor and you end up with NO RESULTS!
Read MoreFamily history research can be full of obstacles... and your genealogy journey might seem like it's laced with pitfalls, vast expanses of water... and those brick walls that seem to come out of nowhere at every twist and turn. If you focus your family-history training regimen on conquering the five challenges outlined here, you'll get better at building your family tree and even level up your Genealogy Research!
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