May 10, 2007

I know you’re all perched on the edges of your seats, and rest assured your wait is almost over: The July 2007 Family Tree Magazine goes on sale May 15 at newsstands an on FamilyTreeMagazine.com.

This issue simplifies your search for Civil War soldiers, counsels you on discovering ancestors’ divorce records, helps you trace immigrants who got here before the law required passenger lists in 1820, and kicks off your planning for summer research trips and reunions. Remember to look for the Web Extra icon throughout the issue for bonus online content. We’ll remind you about the Web Extras in your E-mail Update newsletters, too. Happy family searching!

—Diane Haddad, Newsletter Editor
ftmnews-editor@fwpubs.com

P.S. Make sure you don't miss a single issue of your E-mail Update! Add our address (familytree-newsletter@fwpubs.com) to your e-mail-address book—your software will recognize the Update as an e-mail you want to read.  

• Celebrate Jewish American Heritage in May
• You Say You Want a Revolutionary War Record?
  
• The Early Bird Catches the Savings
  
• Your Genealogy Motivation
  
• From the Forum: Family Heirloom Handoff and an Unknown Soldier
  
• Tip of the Week: Your Family History Day
  
• Worthwhile Web Sites
  
• Identifying Family Photographs: Making a Date
  
• FamilyTreeMagazine.com Events Calendar
• Advertiser Special Offers

Celebrate Jewish-American Heritage in May
This month marks the second annual national observation of Jewish-American heritage. Several organizations (including the Library of Congress, National Park Service, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Archives and Records Administration) have put together a Web site at http://www.jewishheritagemonth.gov with information on educational programs and links to online exhibits.

You’ll find a guide to researching Jewish roots in the August 2006 Family Tree Magazine, and see our resource listings at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/ethnic_cat.asp?ethni city=Jewish.

You Say You Want a
Revolutionary War Record?
Footnote, the private company that’s digitizing historical records at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), has released a collection of Revolutionary War documents.

Records include letters from legends such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, plus service records, regimental rolls, a list of British prisoners taken at Yorktown, documents of appealed Revolutionary War prize cases and more. (Prize cases sorted out bounty from British ships Colonies had seized. The documents don’t contain a great deal of genealogical information but they can be historically fascinating—learn more at http://www.footnote.com/page/561/Revolutionary-War:-War-Prize-Cases.)

Go to http://www.footnote.com/revolutionary-war.php to link to all Footnote’s Revolutionary War databases.You can subscribe to Footnote for $59.95 per year or pay about $1.95 to view an individual record. See our coverage of the Footnote-NARA partnership in the Jan. 18 E-mail Update newsletter.

The Early Bird Catches the Savings
You have until June 1 to save on registration for the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference, Aug. 15-18 in Fort Wayne, Ind. Registrations postmarked before that magic date cost $155; after, you’ll pay $185. A one-day registration costs $80 before June 1 and $95 after.

The conference features research how-to lectures by top genealogists, an exhibit hall (Family Tree Magazine will be in booth 610) and a location conveniently across the street from the recently revamped Allen County Public Library (home to the largest public library genealogy department in the country). See http://www.fgsconference.org to register online, download a class schedule, see an exhibitor list and connect with potential roommates.

Your Genealogy Motivation
What’s behind the burning desire to find all traces of your ancestors’ earthly existence? We invited you to post why you do genealogy on the FamilyTreeMagazine.com Forum. Here are excerpts from a few responses; see the rest on the Forum:

My father thought he was orphaned at 5 and knew nothing about his family. … I've learned a great deal and have become proud of who they were and what they did. Genealogy has gotten into my blood stream and I can't get it out.
—Cath

I have always loved mysteries of any kind: books, television you name it. Genealogy is like one never-ending mystery just waiting to be solved, except you never really completely solve it because there's always another relative that pops up somewhere.
—jknancy06

I've met many "new" cousins and together we are bringing the separated families together again. … In the 1900s, several of the family started using the surname Flood (my line included). Today I edit a family newsletter called the Flood Watch.
—Tj12761

Family Heirloom Hand-off
It’s one of those necessary evils of life: Eventually you have to decide which sibling gets Mom’s wedding ring, the sideboard Grandpa built and the photograph collection. How has your family handled these transitions—and are you all still speaking to each other?

Let’s start a discussion at http://www.familytreemagazine.co m/forum
/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=317&post s=1#M708.


Unknown Soldier
Joanlozier posted an intriguing picture of a soldier on the Forum. Take a peek and see if you can help identify the uniform or the place:
http://www.familytreemaga zine.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?
tid=310&posts=1&start=1

Have a Family History Day
This tip comes from kattbeam, who posted it to the FamilyTreeMagazine.com Forum:

I thought of a great way to celebrate family history. Last year I made up flyers and sent them to each member of my family inviting them to my house for Family History Day ...

Read kattbeam's post to find out how the family celebrated.

Overwhelmed by the number of family history-related Web sites popping up? FamilyTreeMagazine.com sorts through them all—whew!—to bring you only the very best. We recently recommended the following as Sites of the Week:

• Jewish American Heritage Month
• http://www.jewishheritage.us/
• A coalition of Jewish heritage groups created this site with an events calendar, a history timeline and links to historical resources.



• 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam
• http://www.whilbr.com/AntietamAnniversary/index.aspx
• See photos and news coverage of the ceremonies, battle re-enactment, dinners and other events of a Maryland community's September 1937 commemoration of this legendary Civil War battle.

Making a Date
Questions I hear from Identifying Family Photographs readers range from "which wife is it?" to the more-general "who is it?" In the case of this photo, a date will go a long way toward helping Kellee Eubanks-Stevenson determine the woman’s name.

Can we come up with a time frame? Find out at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/
photos/current.htm.

If you have a family photo mystery for photo historian Maureen A. Taylor to solve, check out our Submission Guidelines at
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/photos/photohelp.htm. You can learn Taylor's secrets in her book Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs, second edition (Family Tree Books, $24.99), available online at http://www.fwbookstore.com/product/1217/168.

Find upcoming genealogy and living history seminars—and publicize your group’s events—in our online calendar. You must be registered with the FamilyTreeMagazine.com Forum to post.

New! VIRGINIA IMMIGRANTS AND ADVENTURERS, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary, assembles every significant detail concerning the first generation of inhabitants along the James and York Rivers and their fragile communities.
http://www.genealogical.com/index.php? main_page=
product_info&item_number=3505

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May 2007 Issue

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