History
Historical Holiday Timeline Premium
162 BC Jews victorious over King Antiochus 320 Dec. 25 set as the birthday of Christ by Pope Julius I 490 Advent established as a period of fasting 1561 Christmas trees mentioned for the first time in a printed document 1659 Massachusetts makes Christmas illegal  ...
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Converting Julian Genealogy Dates Premium
Why timekeeping changed How the calendar change affects genealogy
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Genealogy Calendar Websites for Your Ancestors’ Religious Observances Premium
Your ancestors' culture and faith influenced the dates in your family tree. Use these religious calendar tools to discover family traditions and calculate birth dates.
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Migration on Waterways Premium
After the Revolutionary War, American families migrated on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, typically a one-way trip. When steamboats debuted in 1812 and flatbottom riverboats in 1815, river routes became increasingly accessible. But American settlement was still primarily confined to the eastern seaboard. The natural barrier of the Appalachian...
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Food Traditions Around the Globe Premium
Good food brings people together. If you've wondered what your ancestors from around the world ate during the holidays, here is a guide.
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AncestorNews: How Did Ancestors Vote? Premium
Have you noticed how often we group our ancestors into tidy little groups such as "my Germans" or "my Texans"? After all, categorizing our ancestors is an easy way to convey which branch of the family we're currently researching. But the people within those groups were individuals with different...
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A Day in the Life Premium
June 3, 1862: "For the first time in my life no books can interest me. Life is so real, so utterly earnest, that fiction is flat. Nothing but what is going on in this distracted world of our can arrest my attention for ten minutes at a time." —...
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AncestorNews: Count on County Histories Premium
While going through my aunt and uncle's book collection, I rescued a copy of Annals of Platte County, Missouri, published in 1897. Subtitled From Its Exploration Down to June 1, 1897: With Genealogies of Its Noted Families, and Sketches of Its Pioneers and Distinguished People, the book was a gem...
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AncestorNews: Daily Life in the Civil War Premium
When I saw the movie Gods and Generals, I started thinking about how hard it is to comprehend the daily life of our Civil War ancestors—both soldiers and civilians. I have a fairly extensive library of pioneer women's diaries, and because they really do give a clear picture of...
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Outdated Disease Names: Identify the Illnesses That Affected Your Ancestors
Fatty liver? Brain fever? If archaic medical terms are make your head spin, turn to this list of health hazards your ancestors may have faced.
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