Slavery Database Sheds Light on British Colonial Records
Genealogists with ancestors who operated estates or plantations in the British colonies have potential discoveries in one of Ancestry.com’s latest databases. There’s also hope within for those with enslaved ancestors to find the earliest mention of them in the record books. Since great numbers of people have emigrated to the U. S. from the Caribbean, this dataset is especially valuable for many Americans.
The database is titled “Slave Registers of former British Colonial Dependencies, 1812-1834.” It is accessible by paid subscription to Ancestry, and includes the names of millions of slaves (some with surnames), owners, FULL STORY »
It’s always encouraging to discover new projects that honor our ancestors. One way to make certain they are remembered is to preserve their burial data for future generations, especially when tombstones can become difficult to read over time.
Genealogy pursuits often give way to historical excursions as researchers try to understand the times in which their ancestors lived. If, as the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” then the website Old Pictures (
The barriers to finding ancestors with ties to slavery continue to be pushed aside. The latest example of bringing enslaved ancestors out of the shadows can be found at the 
Genealogy and family history programs are finally moving out of the shadows of public television and becoming trendy enough to make the leap to mainstream broadcasting networks.
It took years to make it happen, but one of the newest online databases on the National Archives website contains long-awaited military records. It includes the names of nine million Americans who saw service in World War II, both in the United States Army and the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.
Anyone planning a genealogy research trip to our nation’s capitol in the near future might want to make note of some interesting offerings in the area in May.
In just a few days, genealogy researchers will have a new online database to sample. On Wednesday, the National Archives and Footnote.com are slated to unveil a new interactive Vietnam War Memorial, complete with the largest photo of “The Wall” on the web.
Jewish genealogy is getting a boost thanks to the combined efforts of two companies in Israel. A genealogy and social network search engine is being launched by Haaretz.com and partner Famillion with the goal of uniting Jewish people all over the world.
Alex Haley would be proud. More than 30 years after his successful book “Roots” soared genealogy research to new heights, Harvard professor and genealogist Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is carrying the torch and getting set to light the fire of the popular hobby again.