Nearly 250 years ago, America declared its independence from the British Empire, changing the course of history. For those of us with American ancestry from that period, we want to know if—and how—our ancestor served the cause. This five-week online course will delve into the many primary and published records that exist to document your ancestors’ role in the American Revolution and their contributions to the cause for independence.

Available for purchase until:

Advances in DNA research have had huge implications for the field of genealogy. Yet, with the growing number of companies and options, it can be difficult to know what test is best for you and how to interpret your results. In this three-week online seminar, Senior Genealogist Melanie McComb will demystify the practice of using genetic testing to trace family roots.

Land records are a critical part of Irish family history research. As many public records were destroyed in 1922, land records become a bright spot in Irish genealogical research. They can provide information on multiple generations within a family, lend a greater understanding of your ancestors’ movements and economic status, and shed light on their daily lives. Discussing—but also moving beyond—Griffith’s Valuation, this online seminar delves more deeply into leveraging land records in your family history research.

Jamestowne was the first permanent English settlement in the New World and had already been growing and developing for 13 years by the time the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts. While verifying lineage to settlers from either location is no easy task, it can be much harder to know where to start when it comes to tracing your Jamestowne ancestors.

As a group, 17th-century New Englanders are arguably one of the most studied groups on the planet, and thus descendants are blessed with a multitude of resources. In many cases, town vital records, church, colony, court, probate, land, military, and tax records not only have survived, but have been abstracted and published. And yet, early New England is not without its challenges and idiosyncrasies. This five-week course will discuss the settlement of and migrations within New England, how to locate and utilize original and published records, and strategies for breaking down brick walls.

Now is the perfect time to write your family history! Think about the legacy you will be leaving if you write and publish your own family research: not only a legacy for current and future family members, but an important resource for current and future genealogical researchers. This 5-week course led by the writing and publishing experts at American Ancestors will provide you with a step-by-step approach to turning your raw data into an illustrated narrative, Register-style genealogy or Ahnentafel.