America

  • Famous Passports and Others

    Aug 7

    Governments issue their citizens and non-citizen nationals a passport as proof of their citizenship and residence. The earliest ones for just a few select persons during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Passports were sheets of paper printed on one side, included a description of the bearer, and were valid for three to six months. Event...

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  • Pennsylvania and the Civil War

    Aug 5

    At the Penn State University Library they have placed online a massive American Civil War (1860-1865) collection of documents, photos, recollections, veteran pensions, diaries, list of deserters, biographies of residents of PA involved with the Civil War, maps, info relating to neighboring states, newspapers of the era, soldier database, letters, ...

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  • Local Sources

    Aug 1

    An often overlooked resource when doing your family history was the locations / towns / cities / counties that an ancestor lived, especially an ancestral hometown if they family was in the same town for decades. It is amazing the different resources you can find in a local community that just might some details about your family. Start at the to...

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  • Minneapolis City Directories 1859-1917

    Jul 30

    The use of city directories can be extremely successful in locating additional information on an ancestor. City directories allow users to find former city residents, their occupations, local businesses and their locations. With any luck you can trace a relative during a certain scan of time, where they lived (street) and what their occupation hap...

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  • Using DAR Datebases

    Jul 28

    The DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS) is a free resource provided by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). This organization dates back to the 1890s and has a strong membership over the decades. The GRS is a collection of databases from the massed family history of its members over the years. There are two forms ...

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  • Four Fun Activities: Sharing Family History with Living Relatives

    Jul 26

    This summer how about trying something a little different to involve more family members in knowing, appreciating and learning about their ancestors. Of course attending or sponsoring a family reunion is the best method. Bring together cousins, aunts, grandparents to share stories and especially heirlooms, artifacts and photos can spark many pe...

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  • Colorado Newspapers 1859-1923

    Jul 20

    The Colorado Historical Newspapers Collection is available online. The search process is made very simple. Place the keyword, surname, topic you wish to see if there were any newspaper articles covering between 1859 and 1923. Keep in mind there can be articles in the numerous Colorado newspapers to select from which are about events and people out...

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  • Historical Photos

    Jul 14

    A web site named Historic Map Works is not just maps but rather a large collection of numerous items to assist someone with their family history. One section is 'historical photos' and can be useful to the researcher. There are approximately 556,900 drawings, photographs and historical notes covering some 38,600 different American buildings, indust...

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  • Confederate Veteran

    Jul 8

    Confederate Veteran Magazine was published monthly between 1893 and 1932; nearly 40 years of articles. It was geared to those who fought with the Confederate (Rebel) Army of the southern states during the American Civil War; offering information and stories they could relate to from their war experience. Groups such as United Confederate Veterans, ...

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  • Stereoscopic Images at Library of Congress

    Jul 4

     An early form of 3D images were called 'stereoscopic photos'. Using two images next to each other and then viewed through lens in a special stereoscopic viewer, you see the photo with great depth, almost as if you were right there in person. These stereoscopic photos became very popular in the 1850s and through the 1910s. They served as a great m...

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