In 1845, newborn Avis Stone was abandoned on a doorstep in Freetown, Massachusetts, the identity of her parents unknown. In the 1850 census, she was the only resident of color listed in Freetown. Researcher Danielle Rose investigates this unusual story. Read More
June Bookstore Sale
20% Off Experts' Choice Books
Save 20% on our entire Experts' Choice book collection! With 29 genealogical classics handpicked by our experts, there is sure to be something of interest for family historians of every level. Act fast—this offer ends June 30. Start shopping and save today! Use code ExpertChoice624. Shop Now
Upcoming Conference
Register Now for ICGHS 2024!
Join us September 24–28 at the American Ancestors Research Center in Boston for the 36th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences. This renowned conference will feature a keynote address by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., more than 58 sessions with speakers and experts from around the world, special exhibits of heraldic & genealogical treasures, a vendor hall, and more! Learn More
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Sorting Family Possessions After a Significant Event
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.
1%, Yes, I listen to ten or more genealogical and/or historical podcast episodes a week.
1%, Yes, I listen to five to nine genealogical and/or historical podcast episodes a week.
5%, Yes, I listen to two to four genealogical and/or historical podcast episodes a week.
4%, Yes, I listen to about one genealogical and/or historical podcast episode a week.
8%, Yes, I listen to genealogical and/or historical podcast episodes one to three times a month.
20%, Yes, I listen to genealogical and/or historical podcast episodes a few times a year.
<1%, I produce or contribute to at least one genealogical and/or historical podcast.
63%, No, I don't listen to genealogical and/or historical podcasts.
Readers Respond
Last week we asked our readers to tell us about their favorite genealogical and historical podcasts. Most responses asked instead for recommendations, so we turned to our staff experts for their favorites.
Melanie McComb, Senior Genealogist:The Family Treehouse podcast by Storied features a range of guests from across the genealogical field, including American Ancestors staff experts. Each person shares how they got involved with genealogy. Listeners can pick up valuable research tips from this fun and informative podcast.
Kelse Petersen, Leadership Giving Officer: Every morning while making my coffee, I like to listen to an episode of History Daily, a podcast that explores a significant moment in history that occurred “on this day” (for example, June 17’s episode detailed the events of the Watergate break-in that happened on June 17, 1972). Each episode is under twenty minutes and is told as a story, with sound effects that keep you engaged. As a trivia buff, I appreciate pithy sources like this to continually improve my history knowledge!
Sarah Dauer, Digital Marketing Associate, Jewish Heritage Center:Can We Talk?, a podcast from the Jewish Women’s Archive, features a blend of cultural history experts, scholars, and oral historians across the Jewish diaspora on topics such as “A Half-Century of Women Rabbis,” “Queer Klezmer,” and “A Persian Family’s Musical Legacy.” One of my personal favorites, as it relates to my own genealogy, is “Episode 111: Ladino Makes a Comeback,” about the resurgence of Judeo-Spanish speakers, who faced a sharp decline after the Holocaust destroyed Sephardic communities in Greece, Turkey, and North Africa.
Kara Wasilauski, Prospect Research and Portfolio Analyst:The Rest Is History podcast, hosted by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, covers a wide range of topics from the fall of the Aztec empire to Martin Luther to disco. The hosts’ backgrounds as historians and authors create a really fun dynamic. They discuss (and sometimes debate) not only the historical facts of the topic but also the historiography around it. It’s a great starting point for anyone looking to get into historical podcasts!
Pam Holland, Researcher: In Pushkin's The Last Archive podcast, historians uncover the secrets of the past, using archival materials to delve into the history of knowledge. Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History re-examines things from the past and asks whether we got it right the first time. NPR's Throughline historical podcast travels into the past to answer the question, "How did we get here?" They take the listener back to the moments that shaped our world. A Letter from Ireland podcast is an eclectic mix of Irish history, culture, and genealogy. Two great episodes, #802 and #803, trace the origins of an Irish grandmother and grandfather.
What We’re Reading
How a Book Brought Long-lost Seattle-area Cousins Together “The book that brought a family together was titled, appropriately, ‘We Are Not Strangers.’” An event for this graphic novel set during World War II attracted several people who shared the author’s last name, Tuininga.
“A new museum exhibit on the Holocaust focuses on eight narratives, including the account of a man whose family escaped death by hiding on a family farm.”
This American Antiquarian Society blog post delves into some of the financial records in the Amasa Southwick collection and explains the financial environment of the early nineteenth century.
This Library of Congress blog post features collection items that evoke summer memories for staff members.
Spotlight: Newspaper Database, Allamakee County, Iowa
by Valerie Beaudrault
Allamakee County, seated in Waukon, is located in the northeastern corner of Iowa. The Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library keeps a community history archive with an online newspaper collection comprising over 65,000 pages from 14 local papers. Titles include The Allamakee Journal (1882-2004), The Allamakee Journal and Lansing Mirror (1922-1989), Lansing Mirror (1866-1902), North Iowa Journal (1872-1879), and Lansing Journal (1879-1885). The databases are keyword searchable and can also be browsed.
Stretching from Jamaica and the Bahamas to Trinidad and Tobago, Colonial Caribbean from AM Explorer collects materials from Colonial Office files for the years 1624 to 1870. This extensive collection includes administrative documentation, details of plantation life, and much more. Members of American Ancestors can search this database as well as many more from our partner organizations. Learn More
Name Beneficiaries for Your Non-Probate Assets Today
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