I learned a very valuable family history research principle years ago, and I’ve seen its application more and more as I gain experience in genealogical research. It is a powerful tool for breaking through some brick walls.
Look in neighboring jurisdictions.
Like ourselves, our ancestors did not neatly compartmentalize themselves into cities and counties. They might live [...]

Have you created or worked with an Ancestry.com Public Member Tree lately? I have recently started one myself by uploading a Gedcom. I’ve done extensive research on a few lines, and I wanted to be able to share the information with others.
The great thing about these trees is that you can link Ancestry.com records directly [...]

There are more databases online for genealogical research than ever before. Indexing projects are enormous undertakings, and I’m grateful for the massive investments of time and resources that have made them possible.
We know that the spelling of names were often not standardized generations ago, so we know that we should check records for name variations. [...]

I’ve learned a couple of basic genealogy lessons the hard way doing family history research over the years. Learn from my experience and save yourselves time and effort!
Talk to older members of your family. You may find the answers are right in front of you.
For example, my mom had a letter from her grandmother, which [...]

A couple of my friends have posed the question on Facebook recently: Why are some of the news outlets referring to Osama Bin Laden as “Usama?” It’s a legitimate question, and it has an answer that ties in nicely to genealogy.
In essence it boils down to transliteration. To transliterate means “to change (letters, words, etc.) [...]