11 Ways That Historical Photos Provide Clues About Our Ancestors Lives

I have always been mesmerized by my ancestors’ photographs. Just to see what they looked like and to compare their facial features with those of my close relatives has been a very interesting endeavor. But as I have been able to collect these old photos, I have also been quite interested in the surrounding “information.” […]

Historical Naturalization and Immigration Laws from 1790 through 1952

When researching our ancestors, one of the most important events, especially if they immigrated to America in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is their immigration and naturalization. The laws have changed multiple times and can be confusing if your ancestor is a woman or is non-white. The first Naturalization Act was passed in 1790. […]

Easy Cousin Relationship Chart

Determining a “Cousin” Relationship between two people is quite easy if you have a proper chart. Many of the charts can be confusing. You can use this chart or you should also try an automated “Cousin Calculator” which is even easier at https://theancestorhunt.com/cousin-relationship-calculator.html Download the Quicksheet PDF To obtain a one-page Quicksheet pdf of an […]

Was Your Ancestor a Member of a Lodge, Club, or Secret Society?

One of the more interesting parts of our ancestors’ lives that we often discover only via their obituary, is their membership or attachment to a fraternal, ethnic, religious, or service organization or society. The Quicksheet contains 25 of the more common ones in the United States. Why is this important? – 20% of men in […]

280 Old Occupations Used in the Census and Newspapers in the U.S. and U.K.

This version of the occupations chart has been usurped by a new version with over 360 illness term equivalencies. Get it at:https://theancestorhunt.com/blog/old-occupations-and-their-meanings/ When searching old newspapers and census records, we are often faced with unusual names of occupations, and we have no clue as to their meaning because the terms are not in use today. […]

80 Old Time Illnesses and Their Current Names

This version of the Illness chart has been usurped by a new version with over 150 illness term equivalencies. Get it at:https://theancestorhunt.com/blog/old-illnesses-and-modern-equivalents/ When doing our genealogy research, whether looking at death certificates, newspaper articles, or other sources, we are often faced with different terminology for things.  Nowhere is that more evident than in medical terminology. […]

16 Places Where You Can Find Genealogy and Family History Books

One resource that should be used more by family history researchers is genealogy books. There are hundreds of thousands of local history, family history, and genealogy books that have been published. A large percentage have been digitized, and even more, are on library shelves and can be borrowed –  either from a local library, a […]

Free Online Archives and Digital Collections for Historians and Genealogists

As genealogists and historians, we strive to know more about our ancestors and other subject people. It is imperative, especially as family historians that we research and understand the locales, surroundings, and events that occurred during their lifetimes. While we constantly look for new records, we must also research history, including local history. There are […]

500 Free Library of Congress Digital Collections

The Library of Congress’s Digital Collections are large and growing. Currently, there are 525 different collections. You should definitely incorporate this massive set of collections into your genealogy research. They are divided into 15 different topics. You can see all the specific collections by selecting a topic. You can also drill down by Original Format, […]

United States Genealogical and Historical Societies

Some great places to start researching genealogy records are in genealogical and historical societies. Many national ones span multiple states, and each state has them. Each society has collections and records available that will aid in your research. Some are accessible for non-members and even more are accessible for those who have purchased a membership. […]