Ancestral Findings

Scrapbooking is a really fun genealogy project any child will enjoy. It allows for a ton of artistic creativity while learning about family trees…either their own or someone else's. There is room for endless creativity with genealogy scrapbooking. These are some ideas you might want to incorporate into a genealogy scrapbook project with your child or your grandchild… Podcast Show Notes: https://an...

A great project to do with kids who you want to become interested in genealogy is an interactive family tree, using as much media as possible. There are tons of different ways to approach this kind of project, so use your imagination as much as you like. This is a suggestion for one type of interactive family tree project you can do with your kids or your grandkids… Podcast Show Notes:  https://an...

Vital records… records of births, deaths, and marriages are a basic part of genealogy research. They tell you the important details of your ancestors' lives, such as names, dates, and places associated with them. The information found in vital records can often be stepping-off points for further avenues of research, as well. As a genealogist, you should ideally be collecting as many vital records...

If you want to get your kids or grandkids interested in genealogy, a great way to do it is to come up with fun genealogy activities for them. Doing genealogy in a fun way when they are young can build up an interest in it for them when they are older. One fun activity you can do with the kids is to make a jigsaw puzzle out of an old family photo. This is the best way to do it. Podcast Show notes: ...

Ohio is chock full of interesting historical places to explore. No matter where you go, you'll find something of significance. One such place is the Ohio State Reformatory, which has also been called the Mansfield Reformatory. It's located in Mansfield, and it was once a prison, though these days, it's known as a famous historical landmark—and it's even on the U.S. National Register of Historic Pl...

Looking for the graves of our ancestors is a basic part of genealogy. The headstones provide a tangible link between us and those who came before us. It is something… and often the only thing… that we can touch that is intimately associated with that ancestor. Standing on the ground over which their earthly remains lay is as close as we'll ever get to the more ancient ancestors we never personally...

The Seventeenth Amendment to the US Constitution allowed for the popular election of US Senators. Prior to this, Senators in the US Congress were appointed by state legislatures. Allowing American citizens to elect US Senators had a number of benefits to the average citizen. This is what you need to know. Podcast Show notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-seventeenth-amendment-the-constitutiona...

Welcome back to the Ancestral Findings Podcast. Do you have a theme in mind for your 2022 genealogy research this year? What is a theme for genealogy research, anyway? Here is what you need to know about themes for genealogy research, and why they are important to set each new year. This is also how goals are different, and the role they play in your genealogy theme. Podcast Show notes: https://an...

Welcome back to the Ancestral Findings Podcast. The US Federal Census collection is an excellent resource for beginning and experienced genealogists. Most people doing research on their family tree use it quite often. This is because it provides a wealth of information on American families going back to 1790. This is what the US census is, where to find it, and what information you might find in i...

Welcome back to the Ancestral Findings Podcast . . . The US Federal Census collection is an excellent genealogical research for beginning and experienced genealogists. Most people doing research on their family tree use it quite often. This is because it provides a wealth of information on American families going back to 1790. This is what the US census is, where to find it, and what information y...

What clues do your family's Christmas traditions hold to your genealogy? Here's how to use traditional Christmas customs around the world in genealogy research. Christmas is a time for spending with family. It is also an excellent time for re-examining your genealogy research using knowledge of the Christmas traditions of your ancestors. Christmas has been celebrated in one form or another for the...

Ireland has some unique Christmas traditions, as well as some holidays that are unique to the island itself. Knowing about these holidays and traditions is helpful when celebrating or learning about your Irish ancestors and what their lives were like. Here are some interesting Irish holidays and holiday traditions you should know. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/irish-holiday-tra...

If you have Russian heritage, you will be interested in learning about Russian Christmas traditions. These traditions help connect you to your Russian ancestors of today and of long ago. You might even adopt some of these traditions into your own Christmas celebrations to honor your heritage. Here are some of the most important Russian Christmas traditions you should know. Podcast Show Notes: http...

France has a variety of unique and interesting Christmas traditions. Some are unique to France, while others are borrowed or adapted from other cultures. They all have unique meanings. Learning about them helps you learn more about your French ancestors. Here are some of the most popular French Christmas traditions. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/french-christmas-traditions/   G...

If you have German ancestry, you will love learning about the interesting and unique Christmas traditions of Germany. They will help you learn more about your ancestors and their lives. They will also give you some wonderful ideas for new traditions to adopt for your own family. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/german-christmas-traditions/   Genealogy Clips Podcast https://genealo...

The next logical place for you to continue your beginning family history research is with vital records. These are typically birth, death, and marriage records. These are super important records to your genealogy research. This is the type of information you may find on these valuable record genres. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/vital-records-a-closer-look-at-family-history-res...

If you are just beginning a family history research project, one of the best things you can do to give yourself a brilliant start is to interview the elder members of your family, as well as any existing family genealogists who have been researching a particular branch for a while. This is why you should interview these people, and the questions you should be asking them when you interview them. P...

The Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the US Constitution was proposed by the first Congress in 1789 but wasn't adopted to the Constitution until 1992. The amendment is simple and deals with Congressional salaries. This is what you need to know about this amendment, why it took so long to become part of the US Constitution, and what it says. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-twenty-s...

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution changed the legal voting age in the United States from twenty-one to eighteen. The reason for this was the military draft in WWII and Vietnam that allowed 18 to 21-year-olds to be drafted when they were not allowed to vote. The situation was unfair, and this amendment fixed it. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-twenty-sixth-amen...

DNA testing for health purposes is extremely popular right now. Many people test their DNA JUST to get health information, and not for genealogical purposes at all, although the health information can be used for genealogy research, as well. This is what you need to know about DNA testing for health results, what the companies do to determine your results, and how to interpret them... Podcast Show...

Welcome back to the Ancestral Findings Podcast . . . Autosomal DNA is a different type of DNA research you might want to consider. In fact, it is the most common and popular type of DNA testing done for genealogical purposes today. This is what autosomal DNA is, what it can tell you, and the ways you can use it to more accurately add to your family tree... Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfind...

The Twenty-Fifth Amendment is the amendment that tells how the office of the President of the United States is to be handled if the President dies or is disabled while in office. It also gives the procedure for filling the office of Vice-President if it becomes vacant. This is what you need to know about this important and often misunderstood amendment. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfinding...

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution made the use of the poll tax as a requirement to register to vote unconstitutional. After the Civil War, many of the southern states enacted poll taxes to prevent African-Americans from voting, as they knew most of them were lower income and would not be able to pay the tax. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-twenty-fourth-amend...

The female-line DNA is called mtDNA, and it is one type of DNA that you can choose to be tested to find out more about the female line of your family. Women give a copy of their mtDNA to both their daughters and sons, but only the daughters can hand it down to the next generation. This is what you need to know about mtDNA, and what you can do with it to add ancestors to your family tree. Podcast S...

If you are interested in doing DNA research, there are several different types you can have done. This article discusses Y-DNA, which allows you to follow your direct male-line ancestors back into history. This is what Y-DNA is, and what you can do with it in your research. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/y-dna-a-closer-look-at-dna-research-1/   Genealogy Clips Podcast: https://g...