Ancestral Findings

AncestralFindings.com
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These brief historical and informational snippets about genealogy and history should encourage and help you advance your family tree.

  1. 22h ago

    10 "Must-Do" Genealogy Projects for August

    August can be a funny month. Summer is still here, but it is beginning to wind down. The children and grandchildren are getting ready to return to school, vacations are coming to an end, and some of the hottest afternoons are still ahead of us. That makes August a good month to work on family history. Some genealogy projects are perfect for a quiet afternoon indoors. Others give us a reason to visit relatives, take a short trip, or spend time sharing family stories with younger generations. You do not need to finish everything on this list. Choose one or two projects that fit where you are in your research. A few hours spent on a part of your family history that has been neglected can make a real difference. You can also listen to the Ancestral Findings Podcast while you organize photographs, sort records, or work on your family tree... Podcast Notes:  https://ancestralfindings.com/genealogy-projects-for-august/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

    10 "Must-Do" Genealogy Projects for August

  2. 22h ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Also Like: The Story of Money

    Introducing The canal that shaped American finance from The Story of Money. Follow the show: The Story of Money The construction of the Erie Canal is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in American history. But its most influential legacy is not the waterway itself, it is how it was paid for. Hosts Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth speak with financial historian Richard Sylla about how a gutsy New York City mayor won over politicians, citizens and investors to build something that not only transformed trade in a young nation, but also made New York City a financial centre and laid the blueprint for America’s municipal bond market.  Further reading: Wedding of the Waters: The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation (2006), by Peter L. Bernstein  Credits: Getty Images. A performance of ‘Meeting of the Waters of the Hudson and Erie’ published by cplotter on YouTube  To enjoy future episodes, be sure to subscribe to The Story of Money wherever you get your podcasts, also on the show's dedicated YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@FTTheStoryOfMoney  Hosts: Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth Producer: Lulu Smyth Senior Producer: Michela Tindera Executive Producer: Manuela Saragosa Original music and sound design: Breen Turner Broadcast engineers: Bianca Wakeman and Petros Gioumpasis Podcast Development: Laura Clarke FT Global Head of Audio: Flo Phillips  Video editors: Josh Divney and Kristen Kenyon at Podcast Discovery Learn more at www.ft.com/tsom or get in touch at thestoryofmoney@ft.com. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Also Like: The Story of Money

  3. 3d ago

    American Folklore in Rhode Island

    Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the country, but it has never been short on independence or unusual stories. One of the original thirteen colonies, Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the United States Constitution. It finally approved the document on May 29, 1790, becoming the thirteenth state to join the new Union. Rhode Island had already developed a reputation for going its own way. Colonial officials sometimes called it "Rogue Island," partly because smuggling was widespread in its busy ports and its merchants frequently resisted British trade restrictions. The colony was also known for religious liberty and for offering a home to people whose beliefs were unwelcome elsewhere. Until recently, the state's official name was the "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." Rhode Island voters chose to keep that name during a 2010 referendum. Ten years later, however, voters approved removing "and Providence Plantations." Since 2020, the official name has simply been the "State of Rhode Island." Roger Williams established Providence in 1636 after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of his religious views. He reached an agreement with Narragansett leaders Canonicus and Miantonomi for the land where Providence was founded. The agreement was later recorded in a deed dated 1638. Long before European settlement, the region was home to Native peoples, including the Narragansett, Niantic, and Wampanoag. Their communities, traditions, and conflicts with European settlers all became part of Rhode Island's history. With colonial settlements, rocky shorelines, old cemeteries, and centuries-old homes, Rhode Island has collected a surprising amount of folklore. Some stories grew from documented events, while others have been passed down as local legends. Here are several of the best-known examples... Podcast Notes:  https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-rhode-island/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

    American Folklore in Rhode Island

  4. 5d ago

    Does the Same Last Name Mean You Are Related? | Genealogy MythBusters

    Finding someone with your family's last name can be exciting. Maybe the name appears in an old census, a cemetery record, an online family tree, or even a DNA match list. The spelling is exactly right, the family lived in the same general area, and suddenly a new branch of your tree seems to be taking shape. It is easy to think, "We have the same surname, so we must be related." Sometimes that turns out to be true. A shared surname can be a valuable clue, especially when it is unusual and appears in the same place over several generations. But a surname alone does not prove a family connection. Different families often adopted the same last name independently. Related people may also appear under completely different surnames or spellings. To know whether two people truly belong to the same family, you must look beyond the name and follow the records... Podcast Notes:  https://ancestralfindings.com/does-the-same-last-name-mean-you-are-related-genealogy-mythbusters/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

    Does the Same Last Name Mean You Are Related? | Genealogy MythBusters

  5. Jul 27

    American Folklore in Tennessee

    Admitted to the Union in 1796 as the 16th state, Tennessee has been inhabited by humans for at least 12,000 years, according to current archaeological evidence. The names of the tribes of Native Americans who inhabited the area before the first known Europeans arrived are not known, though the area has gone through several named cultural phases, such as the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian. Hernando de Soto led the first known European expedition into what is now Tennessee in 1540, under the flag of Spain. The Muscogee and Yuchi tribes were living in Tennessee at that time, and are the first known named tribes of that area. Later, as European diseases and incursion on their territory drove these tribes out of the area, the Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Cherokee tribes moved in, with the Cherokee being the last to come to Tennessee in 1838. The first permanent European settlement in Tennessee was built by the British in 1756. It was the westernmost British outpost to that date. European settlers gradually moved to the area in larger numbers, with most of them being of English, Scottish, and Irish descent. Tennessee has a long and storied history with humans and plenty of folklore of its own. Here are some of the highlights of this wonderful folklore... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-tennessee/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

    American Folklore in Tennessee

  6. Jul 25

    American Folklore in Utah

    In this addition, we are traveling through Utah, where one mysterious gravestone has puzzled visitors for decades, stolen pieces of a Jurassic forest return home with letters of apology, a grave robber disappears from an island in the Great Salt Lake, and a brilliant blue mountain lake is said to conceal something enormous beneath its surface. Some parts of these stories are documented history. Others are legends that grew as they passed from one storyteller to the next. That distinction matters, but it does not make the folklore any less fascinating. In fact, the place where the records end and the legends begin is often where the most interesting questions are waiting. Before we explore those stories, it helps to understand the remarkably deep history of Utah itself... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-utah/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

    American Folklore in Utah

  7. Jul 19

    American Folklore in Vermont

    Today, we travel through Vermont in search of a family curse, a legendary lake creature, the ghost stories surrounding a terrible railroad disaster, and a group of mineral springs that seemed to resist every attempt to turn them into a business. Some parts of these stories are supported by historical records. Others belong entirely to folklore. Together, they reveal how real people, places, and tragedies can become legends passed down for generations. Long before Vermont had its present name or boundaries, Indigenous people lived throughout the region. Archaeological evidence shows that people were living in the Champlain Valley thousands of years ago. Over time, small seasonal camps developed into more permanent communities along the lakes and rivers. The Western Abenaki were among the Native peoples whose homeland included what is now Vermont. Lake Champlain provided food, transportation, and spiritual meaning, while rivers such as the Winooski and Missisquoi connected communities throughout the region. In 1609, Samuel de Champlain became the first European known to have set foot in what would become Vermont. Contrary to a frequently repeated claim, there is no reliable evidence that Jacques Cartier visited Vermont in 1535. The French built Fort Sainte Anne on Isle La Motte in 1666, creating Vermont's first European settlement. France eventually lost control of the region to Great Britain in 1763. Vermont then declared itself an independent republic in 1777 before joining the United States on March 4, 1791, as the fourteenth state. That long and complicated history created the perfect setting for stories in which fact and folklore are rarely far apart... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-vermont/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

    American Folklore in Vermont

  8. Jul 15

    American Folklore in Virginia

    Today we explore three unusual stories from Virginia folklore: the ghost legend associated with Sarah Shelton Henry, the mystery of the Beale ciphers, and the modern tale of a werewolf-like creature in Henrico County. Along the way, we will separate the documented history from the legends that grew around it. Virginia was one of the thirteen colonies that declared independence from Britain, but its human story reaches back much farther. Archaeological evidence shows that people have lived in what is now Virginia for at least sixteen thousand years. Early communities were mobile hunters, fishers, and gatherers. Over thousands of years, many became more settled. During the Late Woodland period, farming, towns, and far-reaching trade networks became increasingly important. By the early 1600s, Virginia's Indigenous peoples spoke languages belonging to three broad families: Algonquian, Iroquoian, and Siouan. In Tidewater Virginia, Wahunsenacawh—known to the English by his title, Powhatan—inherited authority over six groups. Through diplomacy and force, he expanded that alliance to include between twenty-eight and thirty-two tribes and smaller chiefdoms. This alliance did not include every Native nation in Virginia, and its population numbered in the tens of thousands. European contact also began earlier than the original article suggested. Spanish Jesuits attempted to establish a mission in the Chesapeake region in 1570. Jamestown, founded in 1607, became the first permanent English settlement. Relationships between the English and Virginia's Native peoples included trade and diplomacy, but also warfare, dispossession, and forced displacement. Virginia's Native nations survived those events and remain part of the Commonwealth today. This long and complicated history provides the setting for some of Virginia's most enduring folklore... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/american-folklore-virginia/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Follow Along: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.youtube.com/ancestralfindings Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/support #Genealogy #AncestralFindings #GenealogyClips

    American Folklore in Virginia
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These brief historical and informational snippets about genealogy and history should encourage and help you advance your family tree.

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    AncestralFindings.com
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
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