If you have forgotten your password or received an authentication error, you can reset your password using following these steps:
- Select “Reset your password” on the Log In page. You will be directed to a page that prompts you to enter your email address.
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Check your email inbox. You should receive an email with the subject line “Your Online Account Credentials from My.AmericanAncestors.org.” Open the email and click “Click Here to Log In Now.”
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You will be directed to a page that prompts you to enter a new password that is at least 8 characters long. Once you have entered a new password and confirmed it, click “Update Login.”
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You should now be automatically logged into the website. If you are not, please click “Login” in the upper right hand corner of the screen and log in with your email address and new password.
If you need further assistance with resetting your password, you may contact our Membership department at membership@nehgs.org or 888-296-3447.
If you have already created an account on AmericanAncestors.org, have a lapsed membership, registered as a guest, or purchased an item, we will have your email address on file. You can update your subscription with your preferred email address by logging into the website and clicking the Renew button on the top of the page.
If you have forgotten how to access the account with your desired email address, you can reset it at any time by accessing the login page.
If it is has been a week or more since you last logged in, your session may have expired. Please try logging out and logging back in again.
If this does not solve the problem, please try clearing your cookies and browser cache by following the instructions in this guide for your web browser.
[Guest accounts] are free. Guest accounts allow web visitors to use a limited suite of AmericanAncestors.org databases and access content such as making purchases from the online store. To receive unlimited access to all 1 billion+ records and other benefits, become a member of American Ancestors.
In addition to the standard suite of databases available to guests found below, other new databases may be available to guests for a limited time. To see the complete list of databases currently available to guests, visit the advanced search page and use the “free” check box.
- Social Security Death Index
- Irish Immigrant Advertisements, 1831-1920
- New York Wills, 1626-1836
- Index of Revolutionary War Pensioners
- New England Ancestors Magazine
- American Ancestors Magazine
- Rhode Island Roots journal
- Mass Historical Data Relating to Cities and Towns
Please contact our Membership department at membership@nehgs.org or 888-296-3447 to change the email address associated with your account.
Join online here. On the following page, select the membership level you wish to purchase. You will then be prompted to log in to your American Ancestors account. If you do not have an online account with us already, you may select CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT to register for American Ancestors.
If you want to check on the current status of your membership, you may contact our Membership department at membership@nehgs.org or 888-296-3447.
You can join or renew phone and by mail.
By Phone
Please call Member Services at 888-296-3447 (choose option 1), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you are renewing by phone please have your member number ready. There is turn-around time of several business days for any phone renewal.
By Mail
You can also send a check, payable to American Ancestors, by regular mail. Just mail it to Members Services at the address below. If you are renewing, please include your membership number. If you are joining as a new member, please provide your full contact information, including email address and phone number.
Member Services
99–101 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
Admission to the American Ancestors Research Center is free for American Ancestors members. Non-members are always welcome and may purchase a day pass for $20.
Here is information on parking.
You can subscribe to the Weekly Genealogist here.
Please note, your subscription to the Weekly Genealogist is not connected to your email address on AmericanAncestors.org. If you update or change your email address on the website, you will also need to update it via the link at the bottom of your email.
Recent issues of the Register are [available online] in PDF format. We also offer a searchable database of the Register containing records from 1847 to 2013.
The Register is available as a PDF for all members. If you opt for e-delivery of The Register, you will receive an email link to the online version as soon as it is available—usually two or three weeks earlier than the printed version. Doing so will help save printing and mailing costs, allowing American Ancestors to allocate resources to other important aspects of the user experience. The online version of The Register is always available to members whether it is mailed or not:
To go paperless, please contact the Member Services team at 1-888-296-3447 (choose option 1) or send a brief email to membership@nehgs.org.
Get information about donating manuscripts and other materials.
American Ancestors is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards.