Breathing Life into Ancestral Stories: Using Social History in Genealogical Research

Robyn Smith
Apr 3, 2025
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Free through April 30, 2025
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Content

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Welcome
43s
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Introduction
9m 58s
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How Did They Travel?
5m 34s
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City Directories
4m 06s
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Historic Inventories
5m 27s
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Photographs
4m 31s
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Maps
4m 17s
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Oral Histories
9m 14s
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Announcements / prizes
43s
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Questions / answers
1m 26s

About this webinar

Have you ever wondered what your ancestors’ lives were like beyond the names, dates, and places? While these fundamental details form the backbone of genealogical research, they often fail to capture the imagination of family members who aren’t as passionate about genealogy. The key to engaging your relatives and bringing your ancestors to life lies in incorporating social and community history into your family narratives. While time travel remains the stuff of science fiction, we can carefully reconstruct the historical context in which our ancestors lived. In this session, Robyn describes approaching social history by using conventional genealogical records in new ways, and using unconventional genealogical records. This session includes multiple examples of how to incorporate our findings into our writing for more creative storytelling. By embracing social history and looking beyond traditional genealogical facts, we can create compelling narratives that bring our ancestors to life. This approach not only enriches our understanding of family history but also captivates the interest of relatives who might otherwise remain indifferent.

About the speaker

About the speaker

Robyn Smith has been researching her family and others for over twenty-five years. She specializes in court and land records, genealogy skill building, and slavery research. A respected speaker in the field, Robyn has lectured widely at genealogy
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Comments (152)

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  1. TQ
    Tamara Quiring
    7 hours ago

    Packed full of great information

    Reply
  2. RP
    Rona POTIKI
    7 hours ago

    just amazing – so much information was mind.boggling!

    Reply
  3. IW
    Irma Watkins-Owens
    7 hours ago

    An excellent presentation. Very well illustrated with useful examples. For instance, the segment on how maps can enhance your research was very instructive using an historic map, a Google Map, and a local historic society’s records/photographs. The combination can provide an intriguing investigation of where and how your ancestor might have lived.

    Reply
  4. CB
    Cheryl Black
    7 hours ago

    I learned so much in this short time. Robyn is very knowledgeable and inspiring!

    Reply
  5. TA
    Tina Austin
    7 hours ago

    This webinar was very informative, and l learned a lot. I took away information that I can use to expand on my family narrative.

    Reply
  6. MJ
    Mary Jane Baxley
    7 hours ago

    Very interesting and informative. Love her style!

    Reply
  7. FJ
    Francis Jenkins
    7 hours ago

    An excellent job. I have know Robyn for many, many years and she never fails to make me feel like a beginner even though I’ve been researching for almost thirty years. Excellent as always. Thanks.

    Reply
  8. DD
    Dee Douglas-Jones
    7 hours ago

    Exceptional!

    Reply

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