-
10 generations, 1 Witch, 1 Month: Can It Be Done?
The journey begins! How will I prove executed Salem Witch Samuel Wardwell is my ancestor? Well, it won't be easy. But check out how I'm getting started in my research (with a little help from Julie Andrews and the Sound of Music)!
-
Am I Descended From A Salem Witch?
For the spooky month of October, I’ve decided to see if I am actually descended from a Salem witch! According to my research so far, I am a descendent of executed witch Samuel Wardwell. Actually, thanks to cousin lovin’, I’m both an 8x-great-granddaughter and a cousin several times removed. Family trees are actually bushes, aren’t they? 😄 About the Trials The Salem Witch Trials in 1692 are one of the most notorious and fascinating events in American history. In a wave of mass hysteria, the folks in colonial Massachusetts collectively lost sight of reason. Centered in Essex County at Salem Village (now Danvers) and Salem Town, 19 people were hanged, one was crushed…
You May Also Like
The Mayflower at 400
-
September GC News
Check out the latest Genealogy Crossroads news! My new family history business, a newsletter freebie, and (possible) upcoming cat photos--oh my!
-
Going Back To School
Back to school means back to research too! Follow along as I try to hunt down my mother's one (or maybe two?) room schoolhouse in rural Indiana.
-
Memorial Day 2021
Curious about Memorial Day? Check out this quick history and how your ancestors may have celebrated in the 19th century!
-
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Ready to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Learn a little bit about Irish Stew and whiskey before you, well, start drinking whiskey. Sláinte!
-
Moving Away Pt 2: Finding Your Interwar Ancestors
Paris between the world wars. Exciting. Creative. Cheap. And for many Americans, a much more free place than back home. Free of social constraints, free of sexual restrictions, and free of the oppressive racism found in the U.S. In this second part of our look at African American migration to Paris during the 1920s, let’s look at how to find those Jazz Age relatives! While we’re focusing on the African American experience in this series, these research concepts apply to everyone with relatives living in Paris in the period. The difficulties in hunting down French records seem to know no color boundaries. The biggest difference is that the white experience…
You May Also Like
Moving Away: Migration to France Between the World Wars
-
Moving Away: Migration to France Between the World Wars
Genealogy is generally the search for ancestors who moved to where we are now. But some family members emigrated away to other countries instead. One example of this “reverse” migration was the flow of Black Americans to France between WWI and WWII. In this first part of a two-part series, we’ll explore the history of this extraordinary event. The chaos and change of war don’t end when the war does. They continue to cause disruption for years afterward. In U.S. history, after the Civil War and Reconstruction ended, Jim Crow laws and violence against African Americans began. This resulted in the Great Migration–the largest internal migration event in our history. …
You May Also Like
Moving Away Pt 2: Finding Your Interwar Ancestors
-
Introducing GC Newsreel!
Welcome to the first Newsreel article! This is a new feature for sharing quick genealogy news and updates. I know this isn’t (yet?) a short news film but it does include a video so close enough. 😄 Civil War Widow Dies…in 2021 After starting my family research I realized something that blew my mind: My grandmother was partially raised by/near her grandparents (not the mind-blowing part). And her grandfather had served in the Civil War. Though her grandparents passed away before I was born, I did know my grandmother before she passed away. This meant that I knew someone who knew someone that was in the Civil War! A war…
-
New Year, New Research Form
We haven’t known each other very long, but I have to confess something. I struggle with organization. Wrangling all those family members feels like a full time job! As I mentioned in the beginning, I’m pivoting to life as a full-time genealogist. Part of doing this was getting my own ship in shape. If I was going to do genealogy in earnest, I wanted to be an example. And not have the genealogy equivalent Monica’s Messy Closet. This should be easy, right? I can hear you laughing now… You Weren’t Supposed To See This – Messy GIF from Messy GIFs Organizing Blues Our historic counterparts had a difficult challenge. Reams…
Where Your Ancestors Meet the Past
