Family History Foundation Blog

Heraldic Lion Positions: Complete Guide to Rampant, Passant & 75 Attitudes

A comprehensive list of heraldic lion “attitudes.” Learn the correct terminology and visual differences for every position from Rampant to Dormant. Heraldic lion positions are those such as “passant guardant,” “rampant,” and so forth. They are technically referred to as “attitudes,” or positioning of an emblazoned lion’s head and body. Attitudes technically include other beasts […]

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“Marco Polo” by Laurence Bergreen [Book REVIEW]

“Marco Polo” by Laurence Bergreen tells the life saga of one of history’s most famous explorers. Let me tell you what this book is all about. If Marco Polo is just a name to you, or you think you may know a few tidbits about him, the book “Marco Polo” by Laurence Bergreen will blow

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Grant miniseries History Channel artwork

Grant History Channel Miniseries – 3 Part REVIEW & SYNOPSIS

The Grant History Channel miniseries, on the life of General and President Ulysses S. Grant, was a 3 part miniseries that was aired during the 2020 Memorial Day Weekend (May 25th – May 27th) on the History Channel. It was superb! I was anxiously awaiting the “Grant” miniseries to make its debut as far back

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Census 2020 Issues! FACTS, FINES & our Patriotic DUTY

The 2020 Census is a once in a decade opportunity! Although Census 2020 issues range broadly from information security breaches to fines, it is in our best interest as a nation to complete it. This article will take you through some of the issues and outline a bit of our PATRIOTIC and GENEALOGICAL duty to

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My 2019 Reading List

My 2019 reading list totaled 24 books over the year, a slight decrease from 2018. I was excited to pick up a few valuable Medieval and Civil War titles at a major book sale as well as a few really neat books on a trip to Seattle. I have to admit, I described myself as

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A Fun Way To Sort Through Ancestry DNA Matches

Here’s how to sort through Ancestry DNA matches, eliminate all the extraneous results that you’ve seen time and time again and rekindle your interest in Ancestry.com! It’s very simple using Ancestry’s new and improved search tools for your DNA matches. All you have to do is set the search parameters just like I’ll show you

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My Moonshiners TV Show Heritage Map

I watch the Moonshiners TV show religiously and realized that my ancestors come from the same places as the shiners so I created a map! As a family historian it’s the coolest thing to note that I have a genealogical connection to places near to the Moonshiners TV show personalities such as Tim & Tickle,

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Elijah Howton of Alabama and Texas (1832-1884)

This is the story of Elijah Howton (1832-1884). Historically, the surnames Howton and Houghton are often used interchangeably; and while the origins of the Howton surname is English, my Howton roots in the United States are found exclusively in the South. This is a family history account of my 3rd great-grandfather Elijah Howton, his family

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Understanding Ancestry Ethnicity Estimates

October 2019 saw new Ancestry ethnicity estimates rolled out. This article will show you how to understand and interpret them with precision. What you most likely have noticed between your past results and your current results are either NEW categories that were not there or OLD categories that have disappeared. There are a lot of

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The Baltic Way – Freedom for Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia

August 23, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of “The Baltic Way” where over 2 million people held hands across 3 countries spanning 419.7 miles (675.5 km). This event in 1989 directly lead to freedom for the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia which were illegally occupied for over 150 years. How Long Was The

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Castle Garden Immigration Records And History

Castle Garden, aka Castle Clinton, was the very FIRST immigration processing station in the US, which predated even Ellis Island. Your records may be in the Castle Garden Immigration records! Stationed in New York harbor at the very lower tip of Manhattan Island, Castle Garden sits directly across the water from Ellis Island. What makes

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