Ancestral Ties

IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, American Ancestors has worked diligently to make genealogical research accessible to all, starting by changing its name from the New England Historic Genealogical Society to American Ancestors. This change came with a widening of scope from just American history to global histories, with a particular specialization in the United States and Europe.

Genealogical research is especially challenging for Black Americans. Enslaved men, women, and children were not included in records and documents in the same way as other Americans, leaving fewer breadcrumbs for their ancestors to follow. In 2023, in an effort to bridge that gap, American Ancestors launched the 10 Million Names project, an initiative dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated 10 million enslaved people in the United States between the 1500s and 1865. It’s an ambitious project, but one that would be game-changing for genealogical researchers of color.

FINDING YOUR PLACE

Learning about family history isn’t just about having great pieces of trivia at the reunion. Woods says there have been a number of studies at Emory University in Georgia examining the intersection of family history with sociology and psychology. It turns out that understanding where you come from fulfills a basic human need: belonging.

“When young people, in particular, know more about their family history, they have lower levels of anxiety and higher family cohesion. They perform better in school, and there’s greater resiliency in the face of trauma,” says Woods. It isn’t necessarily the knowledge itself that has that impact. “When you’re in an environment where family stories are told, that is highly indicative of a kind of support system which helps to produce these results.”

The Family Heritage Experience is meant to open the door to family history and to those feelings of connectivity. In one area of the exhibit, visitors can choose from a wall of questions like “How can I find more of my living relatives?” and “Was my ancestor accused of being a witch?” Computers nearby scan the QR code on each question and show visitors how and where they can find the answers.

It’s $10 per person to experience the exhibit and $25 for a day pass to the American Ancestors building, which gives you access to all the genealogical research resources, including online subscriptions to the Ancestry and FamilySearch databases and use of the Brim-DeForest Library.

Woods hopes to help others feel the power and wonder of discovering their roots. “At its core, I think it brings joy to people,” he says. “It’s also a source of inspiration and education. There are certainly parts of family history research that can be difficult, but by and large we see it as a life-enriching experience for people.”