Free Genealogy Slide Shows

While researching the Genealogical Proof Standard earlier this week, I came across a slide show by Mark Tucker of Think Genealogy. I started poking around the site to see what else it had and low and behold there were tons more slide shows on genealogy. Check out SlideShare to see what all they have. A few of my finds so far include

• Navigating Research with the Genealogical Proof Standard by Mark Tucker. (You can get the handout that goes with it here.)
• Resources for Genealogical Research by the Bullitt County Public Library
• Genealogy for Teens by Sharan Farmer 
• Canada Unspooled: Genealogical Research of Canadian Records 
• Cloud Computing and Genealogical Collaboration: How Technology Can Help Us Work Together by Jordan Jones (from National Genealogical Society Family History Conference 2011)

You can find more than just genealogy presentations. Do a search for a surname of interest. Some people have also uploaded their genealogy research data including family trees, family group sheets, copies of documents and more. Some of the surnames I've come across include Fullilove, Spencer, Blythe, Harris, Fiennes, Kent, Arendell, Wall and Thomas.

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Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence

Is there a family legend that you are descended from one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence? Do you share a surname with one of the signers? Here's your chance to find out. Today's free genealogy resources are on the men who signed the Declaration of Independence and their descendants.

Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence is a society for individuals who can prove a direct lineal relationship to one of the men that signed one of the most important documents in American history. Clicking on signers takes you to a page that lists all of the signers. Most of the names are hyperlinked to a biography of the individual, which includes the names of their children. Some of the biographies also offer information on the ancestors of the signer, another nice genealogical find.

The LDS Family History Library has more complete data on these men's descendants. It is available on microfilm. In some cases, the descendants are listed up to 1900. Microfilms can be requested at your local Family History Center. You can find the microfilm number by searching the catalog or in this Genealogy Magazine article.

The book, Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, can be found in a number of libraries around the country. Chances are, if your local library doesn't have it in stock, it can probably be requested through inter-library loan. You can use WorldCat to find which libraries have the book.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

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Famous Ancestors

Is there a family legend that someone (in)famous is in your genealogy? Perhaps you share a surname with someone well known? Why not do a little looking to see if you can connect the dots? You might be pleasantly surprised by what you find in your genealogy. So far I've managed to connect my husband's maternal line to Rose O'Neal Greenhow, the famous Confederate spy, and my maternal line to Pocahontas.

Most people don't know that Wikipedia can be a source of genealogy information. Their list of family trees covers a wide variety of notable people worldwide. And if you have ever wondered about Harry Potter's family tree, they have that too, as well as trees for a few other fictional families.

Other famous family trees
Pocahontas Descendants
AncestorHunt Family Trees
Genealogy Celebrity Trees
Royal Descents

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