The Blog
Guides, tutorials, and deep dives into genealogy research, DNA testing, and family history.
Research Skills
12 Signs You’re Looking at the Wrong Person in That Census Record
Your great-great-grandmother didn't have 23 children. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this. Here's a fun fact...
Research Skills
The One Line on Death Records That Genealogists Always Check (And You’re Probably Ignoring)
You know that feeling when you're stressed out or nervous and someone asks you a question and your brain just......
Research Skills
The Family Tree Trap: How Amateur Genealogists Are Creating a Massive Web of Lies About Your Ancestors
Your great-great-grandfather wasn't a Civil War hero. He wasn't born in 1695 and living in Cincinnati in 1911 either. And...
Research Skills
87 Genealogists Reveal What They Wish They Knew Before Starting
Look, I get it. You just discovered your great-great-grandmother's maiden name and you're ready to trace your lineage back to...
Research Skills
The Decline in Cursive: Why most kids today can’t read it
A Harvard professor discovered something shocking in her Civil War history seminar. When she showed students photographs of original Civil...
Research Skills
The Sideways Strategy Most Family Historians Miss
Most family historians get it wrong from day one. I did too. We obsess over extending our ancestry into the...
Research Skills
Quality vs. Quantity: The Psychology Behind Tree Building
Ever notice how some family trees have 200 people while others have 200,000? Weird, right? I've spent years observing this...
Research Skills
Hidden Clues in Death Records That Most Genealogists Miss
You've hit the genealogy wall. Names and dates aren't enough. The real stories—the lives your ancestors actually lived—are hiding in...
Research Skills
Dear Grandma, I Love You But Your Dates Are Wrong: When Family Stories Conflict with Records
Here's the truth about family history: Everyone's lying. Not intentionally. But they are. Want to know the biggest obstacle to...
Research Skills
The Great Name Game: Decoding Nicknames, Misspellings, and Aliases in Family Records
Let's cut straight to the chase. Your ancestors are playing tricks on you. Dead serious. Every time you think you've...
Research Skills
The Power of Writing Research Reports to Yourself
I just finished watching an incredible webinar from Legacy Family Tree Webinars that's going to transform how you do genealogy....
Research Skills
Documenting the Dead: How Death Records Can Bring Your Family History to Life
Editor's Note: This article is based on Rebecca Whitman Koford's excellent RootsTech 2021 presentation series "The Dead and the Dying."...