How can a person born in Puerto Rico be considered a citizen of Denmark? Genealogist Christopher Child untangles a complex web of politics and history to explain how one family became naturalized as U.S. citizens, and the path they took to get there. Read More
Give the Gift of Genealogy with a Consultation!
We now offer gift cards for consultations! Purchase one or two hours for the family historians in your life and give them a new perspective on their genealogy. Purchase Now
Free Resource from American Ancestors
Getting Started with DNA
DNA has become an important tool in genealogical research. You can learn about the origins of your family and connect with other DNA matches who are genetic cousins. As more people take the tests, the number of matches increases, making it even more useful to confirm your genealogical research. Our feee guide will help you learn the basics of DNA. Download Now
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Celebrating Winter Holidays
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.
Finding Distant Genealogical Links with Unrelated Family and Friends
Total: 2,807 Responses
15%, Yes, my spouse and I are (or were) distantly related.
13%, Yes, my mother and father are (or were) distantly related.
6%, Yes, at least one of my siblings in-law and I are distantly related.
15%, Yes, at least one set of my grandparents are (or were) distantly related.
42%, Yes at least one set of my earlier ancestors were distantly related.
23%, Yes, at least one of my close friends and I are distantly related.
35%, No, I know of no genealogical relationships between me and my unrelated family members or friends.
Readers Respond
Diane Stepro, New Albany, Indiana: When I taught English at a rural junior college, I shared an office with a bright young teacher who was just starting out. She had the very high forehead, dark blonde hair, and olive skin of my paternal grandfather's family—but so do a lot of people, so I didn't think much of it. We really hit it off. A few years later, I was helping my father understand his DNA results when I saw her photo in his match list! She is his sixth cousin on his father's side, and therefore my 7th cousin. I emailed her right away so she would know, too.
Carolyn Davis, Washburn, Illinois: I sat down at a DAR event next to a regent from another chapter. We chatted about where we were from and discovered that her grandmother grew up very close to my family’s farm. Further discussions and investigations lead to us determining that we share at least seven family ancestral names from early New England. We became dear friends and truly feel like close cousins!
Carol Austin, Garden Grove, California: My husband and I both have early New England ancestors, mine on my maternal side and his on both sides. We have at least 23 sets of common ancestors. We are ninth cousins, ninth cousins once removed, and tenth cousins. My maternal grandparents were also ninth cousins on one line.
Lisa Vierra Turrentine, Elk Grove, California: My husband and I have the Civil War discharge certificate of his great-great-grandfather Wingate T. Robinson framed and displayed in our home. Being the genealogist in the family, I decided that I should find out more about Robinson. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the “T” was for Truitt, my great-great-grandmother’s surname! Sure enough, research proved that Robinson and my ancestor descend from the same Truitt family that immigrated to Maryland in the mid-1700s.
Spotlight: Genealogy and Local History Resources, Williamson County Public Library, Tennessee
by Valerie Beaudrault
Tennessee’s Williamson County, seated in Franklin, is located in the central portion of the state known as Middle Tennessee. The Williamson County Public Library has made several databases available on its Genealogy and Local History Database webpage. Resources include the Thelma Battle Collection of African American genealogy and local history, Richard Carlton Fulcher Historical Collection of African American county records, the Genealogy and Local History Database compiled from a variety of sources, and the Williamson County Obituaries. Click the Search button above the database descriptions to open a page from which you can run a keyword search of one or all of the databases. Search Now
Database News
Update: Mayflower Descendant, Volume 71
We have added Volume 71 (2023) to the Mayflower Descendant database. This update contains 232 pages, 4,344 records, and 4,316 searchable names. Mayflower Descendant began publication in 1899 and is an essential source of information on many early families—with and without Mayflower ancestry—in southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and elsewhere. This database is available to American Ancestors members only.
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
