little boy standing in front of car
Ken Burns with Our America: A Photographic History
April 4, 2023 | Includes signed copy
passengers arriving to the united states
Online Course: Navigating Passenger Lists: Arrivals to the United States
Wednesdays in April 2023
group of people
Annual Benefit: Celebrating American Stories, American Lives
April 27, 2023 | Featuring Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III in Conversation with David M. Rubenstein
Lonnie Bunch
Author and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein

Where Were Your Ancestors during the Boston Tea Party?

In partnership with the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, we are pleased to introduce the Boston Tea Party Descendants Program. Our mission is to foster interest in genealogical connections to participants in the Boston Tea Party, their families, and those involved in the making of colonial rebellion in Boston.

Apply Now

Explore Resources on our Site

Illustration: Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor

Young Family Historians Essay Contest

Deadline April 1

We're asking students in grades 4-12 across the nation to explore what they’ve learned about themselves, the community, and the nation by reflecting on a story from their personal family history.

Family History Curriculum

Classroom-Ready Lesson Plans for Students K-12

Developed by experts at American Ancestors/NEHGS, this free-to-access national curriculum is designed to expose students in grades 4 through 6 to the concepts, benefits, and joys of family history.

...Over its long life, [American Ancestors/NEHGS] has gathered together the largest collection of original materials about the British people of North America. Its Great Migration study, a continuing study, has also published the most authoritative record of, quite literally, the tens of thousands of British subjects who helped found New England. So, your contributions are unique. And something of which everyone who is a part of it can, legitimately, be very proud of. Human stories of our collective past are at the heart of your work, and I’d like to thank you for helping to keep those stories alive. It is our emotional DNA. And immensely valuable for this generation and our successors.
Sir John Major, KG CH

New! Courses On Demand

Educational experiences by our experts, at your convenience.

Enjoy some of our most recent and popular courses on your schedule. Each course includes recorded lectures, handouts, activities, and more. Brush up on your research skills and explore topics across the field of genealogy with Courses On Demand!

American Ancestors named one of 101 Best Genealogy Websites of 2022

Thank you to Family Tree Magazine for including American Ancestors in their round-up of the best genealogy websites this year! Visit their website to learn more and see the full list of sites.

Zoom Demo: The New AmericanAncestors.org

Join Claire Vail, Vice President for Digital Strategy and Communications, for a demonstration on the newly launched AmericanAncestors.org! Learn about key new features, how to navigate the site, and how to get the most out of the website from home. You can also visit our New Website FAQ for more information.

new website collage

Search 1.4 billion names to find your ancestors' records

Search records from all over the world now

I can't tell you how great it feels to be so supported by NEHGS and those of you who bring together such quality programming and make sure it goes as planned.  The online courses, the website, the databases, the "chat with a genealogist" opportunities, the list goes on . . . it all is simply a treasure.  For years my mom was a member of NEHGS and found it so helpful; I just wish she were still alive to attend and enjoy with me the courses now offered.  She would be delighted to know that I'm following in her footsteps.
Barbara Owens

Vita Brevis is 3 Million Views Old!

Vita Brevis, our family history blog, recently marked an important milestone: 3,000,000 page views since it launched in January 2014. Join editor Scott C. Steward for a look back on some of the most popular posts, from research advice to celebrity genealogies to personal stories of family connections made through genealogical research.

Vita Brevis

Upcoming Events

Author Event
Online
Paid

Ken Burns with Our America: A Photographic History

Join us for a special event featuring Ken Burns, one of today’s most treasured filmmakers, and the Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard, in a discussion of Our America—a stunning collection of some of Burns’s favorite American photographs.

Moderated by Ron Howard
April 4, 2023

American Inspiration Author Series

Seminar
Online
Paid

Navigating Passenger Lists: Arrivals to the United States

This four-week online seminar will discuss the historical context of passenger lists and how they changed over time. You’ll learn strategies, sources, and tools that can help you use these lists to trace your ancestors’ arrival to the United States.

April 5, 12, 19, 26, 2023

The Brue Family Learning Center

Lecture
Online
Free

Pennsylvania Genealogy: Go-To Published Resources

In this lecture, Genealogist Ann Lawthers will share her go-to resources for tracing Pennsylvania ancestors across time and location.

April 6, 2023

The Brue Family Learning Center

Lecture
Online
Free

Scotland: The Global History, 1603 to the Present

Join author and historian Murray Pittock as he discusses his most recent work about Scotland's complex and unique history.

April 7, 2023
Curt DiCamillo

Fine Art & Architecture with Curt DiCamillo

Seminar
Online
Paid

Massachusetts Research: Four Centuries of History and Genealogy

POSTPONED | This online course will provide a century-by-century look at the records, resources, repositories, and research strategies that are essential to exploring your Massachusetts roots.

April 8, 2023

The Brue Family Learning Center

Lecture
Online
Free

Discovering the Past through Digitized Archival Material

Learn how to use AM Explorer, a resource available to American Ancestors members, to search across 120 collections of digitized archival material and locate archival sub-collections relevant to your research.

April 13, 2023

The Brue Family Learning Center

Browse all upcoming events in our new Event Calendar

Recent Publications

Download Free Research Guides

The Antiquarto

Join D. Brenton Simons, President and CEO of American Ancestors/NEHGS, for exclusive interviews about family history, fine art and architecture, favorite books, and more. 

The latest episode features Kyle Hurst, Senior Genealogist for the Newbury Street Press at American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society. Hear about her work at the Newbury Street Press, researching and writing family histories; how she got started in genealogy; and her award-winning genealogy "Ancestors and Descendants of Charles Le Caron and Victoire Sprague."

Antiquarto logo with bookshelf background and photo of Brenton Simons

Statement of Inclusion

A message from D. Brenton Simons, President and CEO