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Free Webinar | GEDmatch.com: Taking Your DNA Results to the Next Level!
March 28, 2024
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Online Course | Ohio Family History Research
Wednesdays Starting April 3
illustration of film strips
American Stories, American Lives Gala featuring Ron Howard
April 25, 2024
Ron Howard
Ty Burr

Listen to Rare Audio From Formerly Enslaved People

ABC News Correspondent Alex Presha sat down with 10 Million Names historians Dr. Kendra Field and Dr. Vincent Brown to discuss the impact of first-hand accounts, exploring the legacy of slavery through rare and historic audio interviews with formerly enslaved individuals that were recorded in the 1940s and ’70s.

Alex Presha, Kendra Field, and Vincent Brown

Registration is Open! International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences 2024

Join us for the 36th ICGHS at the American Ancestors Research Center in Boston on September 24-28. This will be the first year the conference is held in the United States!

Announcing the 2024 Young Family Historians Essay Contest

This year's essay contest is now open for students enrolled in grades 4–12 in public, private, parochial, and home schools across the nation and US territories. Participants are asked to share a story from their personal family history and to explain how lessons from that story can apply to their life today.

10 Million Names is a new initiative to recover the names and stories of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in America between the 1500s and 1865.

Together with a collaborative network of genealogists, cultural organizations, and community-based family historians, we will amplify centuries of family stories, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to family history questions, and expand access to information about enslaved African Americans.

Discover More

10 Million Names in the News

10 Million Names

Where Were Your Ancestors during the Boston Tea Party?

In partnership with the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, we are pleased to introduce the Boston Tea Party Descendants Program: a lineage society for descendants of Boston Tea Party participants and those involved in colonial rebellion in Boston. The program has already aided in the discovery of unprecedented documentation from this historic event.

Apply Now

Explore Resources on our Site

Illustration: Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor

Family History Curriculum

Classroom-Ready Lesson Plans for Students K-12

Developed by experts at American Ancestors/NEHGS, this free-to-access national curriculum is designed to expose students in grades 4 through 6 to the concepts, benefits, and joys of family history.

On Demand: Building Your Genealogical Skills

Take your research skills to the next level! Whether you are new to genealogy, want to refresh your skills, or learn best practices, this course will help you get the most out of your family history research.

...Over its long life, [American Ancestors/NEHGS] has gathered together the largest collection of original materials about the British people of North America. Its Great Migration study, a continuing study, has also published the most authoritative record of, quite literally, the tens of thousands of British subjects who helped found New England. So, your contributions are unique. And something of which everyone who is a part of it can, legitimately, be very proud of. Human stories of our collective past are at the heart of your work, and I’d like to thank you for helping to keep those stories alive. It is our emotional DNA. And immensely valuable for this generation and our successors.
Sir John Major, KG CH

Courses On Demand: Educational experiences by our experts, at your convenience

Enjoy some of our most recent and popular courses on your schedule. Each course includes recorded lectures, handouts, activities, and more. Brush up on your research skills and explore topics across the field of genealogy with Courses On Demand!

Man and woman use laptop at kitchen table
I can't tell you how great it feels to be so supported by NEHGS and those of you who bring together such quality programming and make sure it goes as planned.  The online courses, the website, the databases, the "chat with a genealogist" opportunities, the list goes on . . . it all is simply a treasure.  For years my mom was a member of NEHGS and found it so helpful; I just wish she were still alive to attend and enjoy with me the courses now offered.  She would be delighted to know that I'm following in her footsteps.
Barbara Owens

Vita Brevis: A Resource for Family History

There's something new to discover every week on our blog Vita Brevis. From expert research advice to jaw-dropping family connections, celebrity genealogies, and more, you'll discover stories about families of every kind—and learn why family history matters to everybody.

Vita Brevis

Upcoming Events

Lecture
Online
Free

GEDmatch.com: Taking Your DNA Results to the Next Level!

There is much to learn from your DNA data, but you must take additional steps to make it happen. One way is to upload your raw DNA data to GEDmatch.com. GEDmatch is a website that allows users to share their DNA information with other DNA testers, to explore genetic genealogy, perform DNA match comparisons and much more!

 

Presented by Patti Huff Williams
March 28, 2024
Seminar
Online
Paid

Ohio Family History Research

This four-part online seminar will provide an overview of the records, resources, repositories, and strategies for exploring your Ohio roots. We will also discuss the historical context that shaped the records available for your Ohio ancestors. Whether Ohio was a final destination for your ancestor or a stop along their journey west, join us for this deep-dive into family history research for the Buckeye State.

April 3, 10, 17, 24, 2024
Courses On Demand
Online
Paid

On Demand: Uncovering Wartime Stories, 1918-1945: Researching Veteran and Homefront Experiences of the World Wars

Many of us have not-so-distant ancestors who served in World War I and World War II—on battlefields, behind-the-scenes, or at home. Through a combination of videos, online resources, and an hour-long panel discussion, this conversation course will provide insight to help you research war-related family stories and gain a clearer picture of your family’s experience of the World Wars.

Available for purchase until:

March 31, 2024

The Brue Family Learning Center

Courses On Demand
Online
Paid

On Demand: Beyond the Grave: Uncovering Life Stories from Death Records

As genealogists, we often talk about “filling in the dash” for our ancestors—moving beyond birth and death dates by uncovering stories that paint a more complete picture of our ancestors’ lives. Death records include important details and clues about our ancestors’ lives that reveal rich stories and help us better understand their experiences.

Available for purchase until:

March 31, 2024

The Brue Family Learning Center

Lecture
Online
Free

Jewish Languages: Commonality and Diversity

From Yiddish and Ladino to Bukharian and Judeo-Greek, Jews around the world have spoken distinctly from their non-Jewish neighbors. This engaging talk will explore the linguistic diversity of the Jewish people with an emphasis on shared traits.


 

Presented by Sarah Bunin Benor
April 1, 2024

Jewish Heritage Center

Author Event
Online
Free

Rachel Jamison Webster with Benjamin Banneker and Us: Eleven Generations of an American Family

Join us on an unforgettable genealogical quest – an author’s exploration of her family and its history, brought to life in Benjamin Banneker and Us: Eleven Generations of an American Family, named a Best Book of the Year by the New Yorker. Don’t miss Rachel Webster’s presentation and conversation with historian Kendra Field about her experience connecting with relatives across lines of color, culture, and time.

 

Moderated by Kendra T. Field
April 2, 2024

American Inspiration

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