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.
Search 1.4 billion names to find your ancestors' records
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Save $20 off your American Ancestors membership this April
This spring is the perfect time to take advantage of our resources and make progress on your family history research. Use code APRIL0424 at checkout and save on a new membership!
Download Free Research Guides
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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: 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.
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
Ohio Family History Research
This four-part online seminar will provide an overview of the records, resources, repositories, and strategies for exploring your Ohio roots. We will also discuss the historical context that shaped the records available for your Ohio ancestors. Whether Ohio was a final destination for your ancestor or a stop along their journey west, join us for this deep-dive into family history research for the Buckeye State.
April 3, 10, 17, 24, 2024
Lecture
Online
Free
Using Tax Records in Your Family History Research
In this lecture, Senior Genealogist Melanie McComb will provide an overview U.S. tax records—including the types of tax records available, where to locate records, and how the information in these records can advance your research.
April 18, 2024
Kathleen Mackenzie
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.
Rescheduled Date!
April 19, 2024
Curt DiCamillo
Arts & Architecture
Seminar
Online
Paid
Researching Catholic Ancestors
If you have Catholic Ancestors, there is a wealth of information available when it comes to family history research. Join us for this 5-session online seminar, where we’ll discuss the records, repositories, and strategies for tracing your Catholic ancestors.
April 20, 2024
Benefit
In Person
Paid
2024 American Stories, American Lives Gala
Join us for our annual American Stories, American Lives Gala with award-winning director, producer, screenwriter, and actor Ron Howard.
April 25, 2024
Courses On Demand
Online
Paid
On Demand: Verifying Mayflower Lineage
Join experts from American Ancestors for a three-part online course that will explore the many resources, record collections, and research strategies for verifying your connection to the Mayflower. We will also include several case studies demonstrating ways to break down brick walls, including an examination of using DNA to confirm a hypothesis.
Available for purchase until:
April 30, 2024
The Brue Family Learning Center
Recent Publications
Product
The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1636-1638 Volume 1, A-Be
$69.95
This first volume in the third series of the Great Migration Study Project contains new research to uncover t
Product
Biographies of Original Members and Qualifying Officers - Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Connecticut
$125.95
Winner of the 2023 Connecticut Society of Genealogist’s Literary Awards
Product
Western Massachusetts Families in 1790, Volume 5
$39.95
In 1790, western Massachusetts was a crossroads for New England families heading west i
Product
Fruits of the Tree of Life: New Discoveries
$35.95
Between 1785 and 1825, Americans of European descent began to document their familial relationships, which had been gradually developing
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