The Blog
Guides, tutorials, and deep dives into genealogy research, DNA testing, and family history.
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The Pull of Place: Answering Your Ancestral Call
You're staring at that village name on your computer screen. Again. Five generations of your family lived there. Worked there....
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This Is What the American Dream Actually Looked Like for Your Ancestors
Before unions and labor laws, before workplace safety and minimum wage, America was built by single mothers sewing through the...
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Through Your Great-Grandchildren’s Eyes: Your Digital Legacy in 2075
Picture this: Your great-granddaughter in 2075, curled up on her hover-couch (okay, maybe just a regular couch), diving into the...
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69 Photos of How Your Immigrant Ancestors Actually Lived
These remarkable photographs from the NYC Tenement House Department (1902-1914), digitized by the New York Public Library, show the exact...
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Professional Genealogist vs. Amateur: We Both End Up in Our Pajamas at 2 AM Looking at Ship Manifests
The genealogy world can have its divisions. There, I said it... Professional vs. amateur. Certified vs. self-taught. Subscription-based vs. free...
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AI in Genealogy: A Game-Changing Revolution for Family Historians
Ever stared at a mountain of census records, wondering how you'll find time to analyze them all? Or scratched your...
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The Ghost in Your DNA: Why You Feel Connected to Ancestors You’ve Never Met
It's 2 AM. Again. You're hunched over your laptop, squinting at a baptism record from 1847. Your eyes are wet....
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Relatives That Don’t Want to Be Related to You: The DNA Detective’s Dilemma
Here's the brutal truth about genetic genealogy: Not everyone wants to be found. Let that sink in. You've spent countless...
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Ellis Island: 49 Snapshots of the American Dream & Those Who Chased It
Before they were Americans, they were dreamers. These rare photographs, preserved by Ellis Island's Commissioner William Williams, capture that exact...
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Before She Was Famous: Mind-Blowing Construction Photos of the Statue of Liberty
Step inside a late nineteenth century Parisian workshop, where history's most iconic statue took shape. These rare photographs from the...
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12 Unconventional Ways to Stay Focused (That Actually Work)
Let's get real. Your genealogy research is a mess. You started looking for your great-grandfather's military service records. Now you're...
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69 Rare Photos of NYC’s Original Street Hustlers
Street-level New York, 1896. Alice Austen's lens captured the raw hustle of the city's working class - from cops to...