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Daniel Boone escorting settlers through the Cumberland Gap
Free Webinar | Scots-Irish in America: Origins and Migrations
March 19, 2024
Scenic view of Gap of Dunloe, County Kerry, Ireland
Online Course | Using Irish Land Records in Your Family History Research
Wednesdays Starting Feb 28
illustration of film strips
American Stories, American Lives Gala featuring Ron Howard
April 25, 2024
Ron Howard
Ty Burr

Listen to Rare Audio From Formerly Enslaved People

ABC News Correspondent Alex Presha sat down with 10 Million Names historians Dr. Kendra Field and Dr. Vincent Brown to discuss the impact of first-hand accounts, exploring the legacy of slavery through rare and historic audio interviews with formerly enslaved individuals that were recorded in the 1940s and ’70s.

Alex Presha, Kendra Field, and Vincent Brown

Registration is Open! International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences 2024

Join us for the 36th ICGHS at the American Ancestors Research Center in Boston on September 24-28. This will be the first year the conference is held in the United States!

Announcing the 2024 Young Family Historians Essay Contest

This year's essay contest is now open for students enrolled in grades 4–12 in public, private, parochial, and home schools across the nation and US territories. Participants are asked to share a story from their personal family history and to explain how lessons from that story can apply to their life today.

10 Million Names is a new initiative to recover the names and stories of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in America between the 1500s and 1865.

Together with a collaborative network of genealogists, cultural organizations, and community-based family historians, we will amplify centuries of family stories, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to family history questions, and expand access to information about enslaved African Americans.

Discover More

10 Million Names in the News

10 Million Names

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: a lineage society for descendants of Boston Tea Party participants and those involved in colonial rebellion in Boston. The program has already aided in the discovery of unprecedented documentation from this historic event.

Apply Now

Explore Resources on our Site

Illustration: Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor

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.

On Demand: Building Your Genealogical Skills

Take your research skills to the next level! Whether you are new to genealogy, want to refresh your skills, or learn best practices, this course will help you get the most out of your family history research.

...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

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!

Man and woman use laptop at kitchen table
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: A Resource for Family History

There's something new to discover every week on our blog Vita Brevis. From expert research advice to jaw-dropping family connections, celebrity genealogies, and more, you'll discover stories about families of every kind—and learn why family history matters to everybody.

Vita Brevis

Upcoming Events

Lecture
Online
Free

The Scots-Irish in America: Origins and Migrations

The Scots-Irish have been immigrating to America since the early 18th century. Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure will discuss the rich history and enduring legacy of the Scots-Irish in America, providing research tips and resources along the way.

March 19, 2024
Seminar
Online
Paid

Using Irish Land Records in Your Family History Research

Land records are a critical part of Irish family history research. Discussing—but also moving beyond—Griffith’s Valuation, this online seminar will delve more deeply into leveraging land records in your family history research for both Northern Ireland and the Republic. 

February 28, 2024 and March 6, 13, 20, 27, 2024
Seminar
Online
Paid

Verifying Your Jamestowne Lineage

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. In this three-week online course, Executive Director of the Jamestowne Society Bonnie Hofmeyer and genealogist Ann Lawthers will discuss essential resources, record collections, research strategies, and historical context for verifying your connection to Jamestowne.

 

Presented by Bonnie Hofmeyer and Ann Lawthers
March 5, 12, 19, 2024
Lecture
Online
Free

What's New at American Ancestors

American Ancestors is a national center for family history, heritage, and culture actively engaged in the creation of new searchable databases, digitized collections, scholarship, educational programming, and more. We are always working on new projects that share the stories of families and individuals from across the country and around the world. Stay up to date with what’s new at American Ancestors with this webinar series!

March 21, 2024
Author Event
Online
Free

Greg Steinmetz with American Rascal: How Jay Gould Built Wall Street's Biggest Fortune

One of the Gilded Age’s most complex and quirky characters, Jay Gould was praised for his brilliance by John D. Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt, yet he was condemned by Mark Twain for forever destroying American business values. Join author Greg Steinmetz and moderator Esther Crain in exploring his remarkable life, Steinmetz’s “gripping biography” (Fortune), and the glittering Gilded Age era."

 

Moderated by Esther Crain
March 21, 2024

American Inspiration

Lecture
Online
Free

Harridans and Heroines: The Women of Castle Howard

The women of Castle Howard were not merely decorative figures, languishing from boredom or ill-health; nor were they simply wives whose sole duty was to provide an heir. They were dynamic, combative individuals, who wrote, painted, travelled, pursued political careers, as well as superintending several family homes. This talk challenges how we look at great houses and estates: they were not the exclusive preserve, or responsibility, of the male members of the family.

March 22, 2024
Curt DiCamillo

Arts & Architecture

Recent Publications