This Fierce People: The Untold Story of America’s Revolutionary War in the South with Author Alan Pell Crawford
The famous battles thought to be the backbone of American independence—at Lexington and Concord, Brandywine, Germantown, Saratoga, and Monmouth—while crucial, did not lead to the surrender at Yorktown. It was in the three-plus years between Monmouth and Yorktown that the war was won. Hear from historians Alan Pell Crawford and Joseph J. Ellis about this overlooked story. Learn More
Take Advantage of Our Spring Sale—$25 Off New American Ancestors Memberships!
Join American Ancestors today and save $25 on your membership cost. An American Ancestors membership offers access to billions of searchable names on our website, a subscription to American Ancestors magazine, discounts on books and research for hire, and more! Use code Apr25 at checkout. Join Today
Recently on Vita Brevis
Between the Lines
In the latest Vita Brevis article, genealogist Jeff Record confesses to becoming a "genealogical heretic" while working on the Connecticut ancestry of a distant cousin. His crime? Believing an old, uncredited source. Read More
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Ancestors Who Worked in an Industry or Trade That No Longer Exists
Share your thoughts about the survey! Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Your submission may be featured in an upcoming newsletter or shared on social media; please note in your email if you do not want your story to be shared. Published responses may be edited for clarity and length.
8%, Yes, I’ve written an account that contains several chapters.
4%, Yes, I’ve written a book-length account.
2%, Yes, I have published an account.
20%, No, but I plan to write an autobiographical account.
44%, No, and I have no plans to write an autobiographical account.
Readers Respond
Susan B. Strange, Potomac, Maryland: As I have no children, I doubt many people would be interested in a book-length account of my life. But I have written my (rather long) obituary (I'm 78), which includes many details regarding my life and interests. I'm hopeful that there's enough grist in the obit that family historians far into the future will be satisfied.
Marcy Belles, Centralia, Washington: I started my blog in 2014 using prompts from Olive Tree Genealogy’sSharing Memories 52 Week Challenge. The topics include education, activities, movies, songs, TV shows, books, employment, and love. I expanded my blog to cover holidays, travel, and family—both mine and my husband's.
Laurice Johnson, Menifee, California: In March 2020, my first and only grandchild was born—right before the pandemic lockdown. It broke my heart that I was not able to see her, and I worried that she might never get to know my husband and me and hear from us the stories that our grandparents had told us. That summer, I started writing letters to her. I wrote about my husband and myself—our childhoods, rebellious teenage years, and college days. I shared stories about our parents, grandparents, and others who shaped us. Since December 2020, we have been able to spend time with our granddaughter and tell her our stories, but I am glad she will also have these letters.
Cartoon Caption Contest!
American Ancestors, our quarterly magazine, is seeking a caption for its next cartoon (pictured)! The winning entry will be featured in our spring issue. Click the image to view a larger version (clicking will redirect you to our Facebook page). Enter Now
What We’re Reading
Why Italy Made It Harder to Become Italian “The government says it tightened citizenship rules because of a deluge of applications from the descendants of emigrants who only coveted an Italian passport.”
Lowell’s Forgotten House Mothers “As vital to the success of industrial New England as the mill girls who toiled in the factories were the women who oversaw their lodging.”
George Washington and King George III—Exhibit Showcases Common Ties “A major new Library [of Congress] exhibition, ‘The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution,’ uses original documents such as letters, diaries, maps, newspapers, cartoons, to shed light on striking likenesses between the two” men.
A Farmhouse Refuge From a Nazi Blitz Became His Forever Home “When he was five years old, Malcolm Barlow arrived at a country estate in Pennsylvania to escape World War II. He never left, under circumstances he would not understand until years later.”
Spotlight: Community History Archive of the Carnegie Public Library, Coahoma County, Mississippi
by Valerie Beaudrault
Coahoma County, seated in Clarksdale, is located in northwestern Mississippi. The Carnegie Public Library in Clarksdale has made a number of resources available in its Community History Archive. The newspaper collection comprises more than 237,000 pages from thirty-two newspapers, including Clarksdale Press Register (1949-2021), Clarksdale Daily Register (1917-1936), Clarksdale Register and Daily News (1937-1946), Clarksdale Daily Register and Daily News (1937-1949), and Friars Point Coahomian (1896-1922). There are a number of other databases, including vital records, funeral home records, wills and estates, and Board of Supervisors minutes. The databases can be searched by keyword or browsed. Search Now
Celebrating 180 Years of American Ancestors—Charles Ewer
Who was Charles Ewer? Born in Boston in 1790, Ewer was a successful book publisher with a passionate interest in genealogy and history. In 1844, Ewer belonged to a group of scholarly Bostonians who met frequently to discuss common interests. In one pivotal meeting, a member of the group expressed hope that one day they might found a genealogical society. Ewer exclaimed, “Then let’s do it now!”
Despite his enthusiasm, Ewer initially refused to accept any official position (even membership), being sensitive to public opinion that frowned on genealogy's associations with British aristocracy. Someone must have changed his mind about taking the helm. The group continued to meet twice a month until they established New England Historic Genealogical Society in 1845, with Ewer elected as the first president.
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
