America 250 Genealogy
- Leslie Ryan
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
America's 250th birthday is a little more than a week away and the various research sites have put together special search packages to trace our ancestors back through famous events in our Independence and History. Let's celebrate America 250 Genealogy!
Family Search is always free to use, and they have gone all in for this event. They have launched a new webpage just for this occasion, FamilySearchAmerica250 so that you can discover "your family's place in American history." You can take the America250 Challenge and "contribute 2 family names, 5 life event dates (birth, marriage, death) and 10 memories, photos, or stories" to add your unique family information to the "moments that shaped our nation." You can also nominate your own American Hero.
They will also have volunteers at the local Family History Centers to help you dive in to the Family Search database. Here is a link to find your closest FH Center https://www.familysearch.org/en/locations/about
MyHeritage does normally have some free access for non-members but for America 250 they have dozens or articles and databases ready for you to explore starting with the Pilgrims and going up to recent obituaries and marriages! Start your fun here: https://america250.myheritage.com/
Ancestry is taking a different approach, with Stories of Us, with biographical information about 250 people who formed America and what can be learned from their records. Take a look: https://www.ancestry.com/stories-of-us
The official American Government celebration site is here: https://america250.org/ This is a bi-partisan group of our representatives who have put together some ideas about celebrating our 250th in our communities, with a focus on turning the 4th into another National Day of Giving. Take the Pledge!
This includes America's Block Party which are to be fund-raising celebrations. Some of these are happening this weekend, here is a link to where the parties are already scheduled, maybe near you! https://america250.org/americas-block-party/
However you choose to celebrate America 250, I hope you will remember your ancestors and other who have been sacrificed their lives over these 250 years (including 2 World Wars) to preserve "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."
We the people formed this great nation, this land is our land! Let's celebrate! Here's a great Pete Seeger song from the Smithsonian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYKaLs7A4zM
Hope your family tree is coming along well! If you need help, send me an email. We offer a free review of your brick wall!
Patriotically yours,
Leslie Ryan
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