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.
Annual Benefit: Celebrating American Stories, American Lives
April 27, 2023 | Featuring Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III in Conversation with 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What's the best source for Irish records?
Ask a genealogist!
Chat live with a family history expert and get quick research questions answered for free.
Tuesday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. ET
Thursday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
What did "homesteader" mean in the 19th century?
Ask a genealogist!
Chat live with a family history expert and get quick research questions answered for free.
Tuesday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. ET
Thursday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
How can I find my globe-trotting ancestor?
Ask a genealogist!
Chat live with a family history expert and get quick research questions answered for free.
Tuesday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. ET
Thursday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
Upcoming Events
Seminar
Online
Paid
Basics of Early New England Research
This five-week online seminar will discuss the settlement of New England, how to locate and use records, and strategies for breaking down brick walls.
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2023
The Brue Family Learning Center
Author Event
Online
Free
David Waldstreicher with The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet's Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence
Hear about historian David Waldstreicher's new biography of the celebrated poet Phillis Wheatley, whose extraordinary work set African American literature at the heart of the American Revolution.
Moderated by L'Merchie Frazier
March 27, 2023
American Inspiration Author Series
Lecture
Online
Free
Altruism and Adaptation: American Jewish Life in the Interwar Period
Dr. Miriam Mora will explore how the Great Depression, the rise of American antisemitism, and the immigration restrictions of the 1920s contributed to the redefinition of American Jewish identity.
March 28, 2023
The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center
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
Browse all upcoming events in our new Event Calendar
Recent Publications
Book
Genealogist’s Handbook for New England Research, 6th Edition
$38.95
This new full-color edition is an extensive update of an indispensable resource for those researching in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusett
Product
The Stories They Tell . . . from the Herdeg Collection
$69.95
A visit to a historic home . . . and a walk through history as told by the art and objects inside.
Product
Family Treasures: 175 Years of Collecting Art and Furniture at the New England Historic Genealogical Society
$59.95
Winner of the 2021 New England Society in the City of New York Book Award in the Art and Photography category.
Product
A New England Native American Reader
$24.95
A collection of articles on New England Native American genealogy, history, and culture that have appeared in the Register or American An
Book
Early New England Families 1641–1700, Volume 2 (paperback)
$32.95
Addressing the lack of compiled information on individuals who immigrated to New England after the Great Migration, the Early New England
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."
