--- title: The Weekly Genealogist, January 21, 2026 --- The Weekly Genealogist, January 21, 2026 | View in Browser January 21, 2026 Become a Member Hybrid Lecture, February 7 Researching Black Patriots and Loyalists During the Revolutionary Era   In this hybrid lecture, 10 Million Names Volunteer Manager Danielle Rose will provide a brief history of Black soldiers during the Revolutionary War and their possible motivations for joining either side. She will also discuss resources and strategies for piecing together their service records and stories. Learn More $25 Off New Memberships   Become a new member today and save $25. 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 Jan26 at checkout. Sale ends January 31. Join Today Seen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon On January 19, our Trustee Henry Louis Gates, Jr. appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to discuss genealogy and the new season of Finding Your Roots. Gates shared his experience meeting Pope Leo XIV and presenting the Pope with a detailed family tree. American Ancestors played a leading role in uncovering the Pope’s multicultural ancestry, along with Gates, the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, and genealogist Jari Christopher Honora. We are honored to have contributed to this research and to continue advancing the knowledge and understanding of family, heritage, and identity. Watch Now! The Weekly Genealogist Survey This Week's Survey: Generational Business or Farm  Share your story! Each week in our Readers Respond column, we publish a selection of reader-submitted stories related to our most recent survey. Submissions must be 150 words or fewer and include your full name, city, and state. Published responses will be edited for clarity and length. Take the Survey Last Week's Survey: Attending a School That Your Parents or Grandparents Attended   Total: 2,645 Responses 21%, Yes, I attended a grade school that at least one of my parents attended. 5%, Yes, I attended a grade school that at least one of my grandparents attended. 2%, Yes, I attended a grade school that at least one of my earlier ancestors attended. 23%, Yes, I attended a high school that at least one of my parents attended. 6%, Yes, I attended a high school that at least one of my grandparents attended. 2%, Yes, I attended a high school that at least one of my earlier ancestors attended 15%, Yes, I attended a college that at least one of my parents attended. 4%, Yes, I attended a college that at least one of my grandparents attended. 3%, Yes, I attended a college that at least one of my earlier ancestors attended. 16%, I have a different example of family members attending the same school. 48%, No, I did not attend a school that any of my parents, grandparents, or earlier ancestors attended. Readers Respond   Marilyn MacDonald Stanley, Wells, Maine: My parents graduated from Wells High School in 1952 and 1953 and eventually became teachers there. Dad taught science and Mom taught English. My brother and I had them as our teachers when we attended Wells High in the 1970s. Skipping school was too much of a challenge with our parents around, but my brother and I figured out a few ways to get into mischief from time to time!   Kathy Astrom, Wheeling, Illinois: My mother, sister, and I all attended St. Francis Academy in Joliet, Illinois. Sister Anna Marie Becker was Mom’s freshman year homeroom teacher. Thirty years later, Sister Anna Marie was my senior year homeroom teacher.   Chip Lewis, St. Simons Island, Georgia: My grandfather Edison Lewis graduated from St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts, in 1898. My father Charles Pendleton Lewis graduated from St. Mark’s in 1929. I graduated from there in 1960 and my son graduated in 1994. My granddaughter will graduate from St. Mark’s in 2026.   Barbara Meger, Crofton, Maryland: I was the fourth generation—following my father, my grandmother, and my grandmother’s parents—at Pleasant View, a small rural elementary school in the Missouri Ozarks. By the 1950s, all eight grades were taught by a single teacher in the same room. I loved listening to the older classes and getting a preview of what I would learn in the coming years.   Jessy Wheeler, Boston, Massachusetts: I went to the same high school as my mother and maternal grandmother: St. Joseph Central High School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. One year, the school hung a bunch of old photos in the hall, including a photo of my grandmother's graduating class. My grandmother died long before I was born and it was nice to be able to see her every day.   Maureen Riordan, Dracut, Massachusetts: My mother, Mary E. Burke, graduated in 1952 from Lowell (Massachusetts) State College. By the time I graduated from there in 1975, it was the University of Lowell. In 2021, my daughter, Molly, graduated from the same institution, which had become the University of Massachusetts Lowell. After her graduation, we took photos of Molly on the steps of Coburn Hall, a building built in 1897 where she, her mother, and grandmother all took classes. What We’re Reading   British Soldier’s Long-lost Memoir Rediscovered in Cleveland “War of 1812 veteran Shadrack Byfield's second book describes a grittier life story—and a hook for a hand.” Samuel Green Freed Himself and Others From Slavery. Then He Was Imprisoned Over Owning a Book “After buying his own liberty, the Marylander covertly assisted conductors on the Underground Railroad, including Harriet Tubman. But his possession of 'Uncle Tom’s Cabin' turned him into an abolitionist hero.” “I Wanted to Save My Family’s Stories. Instead, I Found a Connection I Didn’t Know I Was Missing” Andrew Stetson, a writer and storyteller in Prince Edward Island, shares how “an offhand suggestion turned into a multi-year project to create a family podcast.” The Driver’s License Used to Say Who Can Drive. Now It Says a Lot about Who We Are “What was once a simple paper card has evolved with the tech of the times as it has gone from protecting our roads to playing a role in national security.” An 18th Century Survey of the Roads of the United States of America This Library of Congress blog post discusses the career of Dublin-born Christopher Colles and his atlas of the new nation. Spotlight: Local History and Genealogy Resources, The Lane Libraries, Ohio by Valerie Beaudrault   Butler County, seated in Hamilton, is located in southwestern Ohio. The Lane Libraries have made a digital history collection of Butler County historical resources, available on their website. The resources include materials from the digital history repository and the collections of the Smith Library and Cummins Room. Researchers will find local history books, directories, yearbooks, maps and atlases, historical newspapers, and church records, as well as City of Hamilton records and Oxford oral history recordings. In addition, researchers can access two photograph collections and a postcard collection. Search Now Upcoming Lectures, Courses, Tours, and More January 21: Online Author Event Writing History: Rick Atkinson Talks with Ryan J. Woods about American History and the Revolution Trilogy   January 22: Online Lecture Origins and Migrations: Where Did They Come From, Where Did They Go?   January 24:In-Person Lecture Getting Started in Family History Research View All Upcoming Events and Tours Recently on Vita Brevis Looking for Death Records? Try City Directories!   When official death records are unavailable or incomplete, city directories can sometimes fill in the gaps. Joe Smaldone demonstrates how Boston’s 1909 directory provided death information, relationships, and research pathways that might have otherwise remained hidden. Read More Your Legacy. Your Peace of Mind. Your Free Will.    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 Educational events brought to you by Vol. 29, No. 3, Whole #1295 Copyright ©2026 American Ancestors. All Rights Reserved.. American Ancestors, 97 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116, 1-888-296-3447 Unsubscribe Manage preferences Read Past Issues  \|  Feedback? Contact Us | | --- |