Building a Genealogical Case with DNA: Samuel Tanner of Texas

Recently, an eye-opening DNA cousin appeared among my mother’s matches on Ancestry.com. She shares 23 cM with my mother and shares even more DNA with my mother’s sister and brother – 36 cM and 43 cM, respectively. These are not insignificant amounts of shared DNA, giving me confidence that I could potentially determine how she …

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Breaking Down that Ugly 1870 Brick Wall: Tracing Your Enslaved Ancestors

You’ve traced your African American ancestry back to the 1870 U.S. Census, only to hit what genealogists often call the "1870 brick wall." You’ve read books and articles about slavery in America and now face the question: How do I research my family’s history beyond emancipation? How do I identify and document my enslaved ancestors? …

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