Breathing Life into Ancestral Stories: Using Social History in Genealogical Research
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.
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.
While you won’t be able to find genealogy-related records using artificial intelligence, you will be able to use AI to learn more about an ancestor’s “social history.” Social history details how an ancestor lived including where they lived, their occupation, the cost of goods and services, and why they may have migrated to or from a location. Social history “fills in the dash” between an ancestor’s birth date and death date.
While you won’t be able to find genealogy-related records using artificial intelligence, you will be able to use AI to learn more about an ancestor’s “social history.” Social history details how an ancestor lived including where they lived, their occupation, the cost of goods and services, and why they may have migrated to or from a location. Social history “fills in the dash” between an ancestor’s birth date and death date.
The Many Wives of Howard William Lowe: Working with Social History to Glean Genealogical Insights (a 2023 Reisinger Lecture)
Genealogists are expected to conduct research not just reasonably exhaustively but also broadly. Understanding the social milieu of the specific time and place within which an individual lived is an essential element of broad research. A case study focusing on an early twentieth-century blue-collar worker in western Minnesota and his several wives illustrates how social history provides insights illuminating their lives.
This class is presented live at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City as part of the Joy Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series and is being broadcasted by Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
Genealogists are expected to conduct research not just reasonably exhaustively but also broadly. Understanding the social milieu of the specific time and place within which an individual lived is an essential element of broad research. A case study focusing on an early twentieth-century blue-collar worker in western Minnesota and his several wives illustrates how social history provides insights illuminating their lives.
This class is presented live at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City as part of the Joy Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series and is being broadcasted by Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
Oscar Philibert’s World War II draft card included a surprise, the description of a tattoo. That knowledge posed a challenge. What could Gena learn about this tattoo that would enhance his life story? This case study includes genealogical and social history resources that provide ideas for how genealogists can incorporate social history into the facts they find on a genealogically relevant record.
Oscar Philibert’s World War II draft card included a surprise, the description of a tattoo. That knowledge posed a challenge. What could Gena learn about this tattoo that would enhance his life story? This case study includes genealogical and social history resources that provide ideas for how genealogists can incorporate social history into the facts they find on a genealogically relevant record.
The Most Prominent Citizens: Using County Histories
County histories bring rich possibilities to our research through biographical and historical sketches. They provide an abundance of FAN Club members and research clues. We will examine county histories through the use of a case study. Beginning with a research questions, we will examine the methodology of the FAN Club…
County histories bring rich possibilities to our research through biographical and historical sketches. They provide an abundance of FAN Club members and research clues. We will examine county histories through the use of a case study. Beginning with a research questions, we will examine the methodology of the FAN Club…
The Western Front was the main theatre of war during World War One. A truly industrialised war with shrapnel, gas and bombs. Disease was also an issue with specific diseases due to the trench conditions.
The Western Front was the main theatre of war during World War One. A truly industrialised war with shrapnel, gas and bombs. Disease was also an issue with specific diseases due to the trench conditions.
Social History through the Ages: Sources for Social History from the Colonial Period to World War II
In this presentation we explore websites that provide the historical detail about our ancestor’s lives. These websites will help your research go from "just the facts" to a multi-dimensional reconstruction of your ancestor's life.
In this presentation we explore websites that provide the historical detail about our ancestor’s lives. These websites will help your research go from "just the facts" to a multi-dimensional reconstruction of your ancestor's life.
Social History Websites That Bring Your Ancestor's Story to Life
Social history is an important part of genealogical research. In this presentation we will go over 25 websites that will help you better understand your ancestor's life which will then lead you to more resources.
Social history is an important part of genealogical research. In this presentation we will go over 25 websites that will help you better understand your ancestor's life which will then lead you to more resources.
Yorkshire was an area of great migration, those who moved within the county, those who moved in and out of the county and those who left Yorkshire and England. Most Europeans who emigrated travelled to America with more than 2 million English moving to America in the 1800s. The changes during the 1800s through the effects, and aftereffects, of the Industrial Revolution created great change in Yorkshire as well as the decline in lead mining and farming in rural areas and the Yorkshire dales. As people lost opportunities to earn a living in these areas they were pulled to the opportunities further afield, the mills towns in the West Riding of Yorkshire and Lancashire and further afield to America then later to Canada and Australia. As a member of a family emigrated this created a greater pull for friends and family to join them creating communities in another country. This was the case in New Diggings in Wisconsin where many people from Swaledale and Wensleydale left the declining lead mines to start new lives in the growing mines of America. This talk will explore the people who emigrated, the villages they left and the communities they joined along with the Yorkshire surnames which are now part of American life. Oral histories documented in the book ‘Those Who Left the Dales’ by the Upper Dales Family History Group are referred to as well as immigration records and original documents held at North Yorkshire Archives including the publication ‘History of New Diggings’ and a Dakota ‘recruiting’ lecture given in Wensleydale. The talk will provide an insight into the reasons for leaving Yorkshire, particularly the Yorkshire Dales, and the lives of those who emigrated.
Yorkshire was an area of great migration, those who moved within the county, those who moved in and out of the county and those who left Yorkshire and England. Most Europeans who emigrated travelled to America with more than 2 million English moving to America in the 1800s. The changes during the 1800s through the effects, and aftereffects, of the Industrial Revolution created great change in Yorkshire as well as the decline in lead mining and farming in rural areas and the Yorkshire dales. As people lost opportunities to earn a living in these areas they were pulled to the opportunities further afield, the mills towns in the West Riding of Yorkshire and Lancashire and further afield to America then later to Canada and Australia. As a member of a family emigrated this created a greater pull for friends and family to join them creating communities in another country. This was the case in New Diggings in Wisconsin where many people from Swaledale and Wensleydale left the declining lead mines to start new lives in the growing mines of America. This talk will explore the people who emigrated, the villages they left and the communities they joined along with the Yorkshire surnames which are now part of American life. Oral histories documented in the book ‘Those Who Left the Dales’ by the Upper Dales Family History Group are referred to as well as immigration records and original documents held at North Yorkshire Archives including the publication ‘History of New Diggings’ and a Dakota ‘recruiting’ lecture given in Wensleydale. The talk will provide an insight into the reasons for leaving Yorkshire, particularly the Yorkshire Dales, and the lives of those who emigrated.
Las 10 bases de datos más útiles para la investigación sobre Europa del Este
Tue, February 24 2026: 14:00 UTC
Con más información disponible en línea, a menudo es posible encontrar registros clave de sus antepasados de Europa del Este en bases de datos gratuitas y de suscripción. Obtenga información sobre los distintos conjuntos de registros disponibles, cómo acceder a ellos y cómo superar los problemas de privacidad e idioma, así como otros obstáculos para la investigación.
Los subtítulos y la voz de este vídeo se han doblado al español utilizando IA.
Con más información disponible en línea, a menudo es posible encontrar registros clave de sus antepasados de Europa del Este en bases de datos gratuitas y de suscripción. Obtenga información sobre los distintos conjuntos de registros disponibles, cómo acceder a ellos y cómo superar los problemas de privacidad e idioma, así como otros obstáculos para la investigación.
Los subtítulos y la voz de este vídeo se han doblado al español utilizando IA.
We are so busy searching and documenting the past and our ancestors, but don’t stop to think that someday we will be the ancestors of someone. What are we leaving behind besides the genealogical legacy? Will our descendants know who WE really were? our unique voice, our feelings and experiences, what messages and lessons do we leave behind?
We are so busy searching and documenting the past and our ancestors, but don’t stop to think that someday we will be the ancestors of someone. What are we leaving behind besides the genealogical legacy? Will our descendants know who WE really were? our unique voice, our feelings and experiences, what messages and lessons do we leave behind?
Confusion. Too many “favorites” lists. Too many “Top 100” lists. Too many opinions. Indeed, that’s just what the myriads of “top website” lists are: somebody’s opinion. Well, it’s time to make a better and truly useful list! Based on an extensive study of genealogical web traffic, here are the 50 most visited real genealogy websites. Since these are the most visited sites, they must be doing something right and providing some value to their visitors. Count them down, and learn what you’ve been missing!
Confusion. Too many “favorites” lists. Too many “Top 100” lists. Too many opinions. Indeed, that’s just what the myriads of “top website” lists are: somebody’s opinion. Well, it’s time to make a better and truly useful list! Based on an extensive study of genealogical web traffic, here are the 50 most visited real genealogy websites. Since these are the most visited sites, they must be doing something right and providing some value to their visitors. Count them down, and learn what you’ve been missing!
Les 10 bases de données les plus utiles pour la recherche sur l’Europe de l’Est
Thu, February 26 2026: 14:00 UTC
Grâce à la multitude d’informations disponibles en ligne, il est souvent possible de trouver des documents clés concernant vos ancêtres d’Europe de l’Est dans des bases de données gratuites ou payantes. Découvrez les différents types de documents disponibles, comment y accéder et comment surmonter les problèmes liés à la confidentialité, à la langue et autres obstacles à la recherche.
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l’aide de l’IA.
Grâce à la multitude d’informations disponibles en ligne, il est souvent possible de trouver des documents clés concernant vos ancêtres d’Europe de l’Est dans des bases de données gratuites ou payantes. Découvrez les différents types de documents disponibles, comment y accéder et comment surmonter les problèmes liés à la confidentialité, à la langue et autres obstacles à la recherche.
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l’aide de l’IA.
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