Beyond Fathers
Update, check out this about gateway ancestors.
I try to engage people in genealogy, the study of family histories, best known as family trees. Often, people say some relative has done some of it. Others say they have some but say they already know where their father and mother come from and do not spend much time on it. Many have researched their family name but fail to realize how much there is to explore.
You have 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents. But what about the 16 behind them? And the 32 behind them or the 64 behind them? Dare I mention 128 at 7 generations back? How many do you really know? There is so much to explore, particularly along maternal lines and lost siblings, and second marriages. Also, the further you go back into your family history, the more people in real life you will find are related to you!
At the same time, as you go back in time, fewer people existed. Today, there are 8 billion people on the planet, but in 1800, only about 1 billion. While the US population is fast approaching 340 million people, it barely had about 76 million in 1900! Finding ancient ancestors is a possibility, even outside the United States as other countries bring their documentation online.
While much information is still not on the internet, and many resources are deteriorating, much, much more information is available through the internet as never before. You can start on a free site like FamilySearch.org or obtain many documents through Ancestry.com. And when you get far enough into your family history, there are organizations of people with heritage you have in common! You have probably heard, for every problem, there is an app for that! Well, this is somewhat true of genealogy and heritage groups. If you have an interesting heritage, chances are, there are many others who do as well and have formed an organization!
The Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America really wants you to know, there are plenty of organizations for you to join and dine with by searching your family tree and documenting it. They list as many as they can (https://www.hereditary.us/directory-online) Some of these organizations merely give you a lapel pin and certificate. Others meet regularly while some never meet at all. Many are fairly easy to join but others can be very cumbersome to join as they require substantial credentials.
So you say your great-grandfather was a farmer? Try this group!
https://www.nsdoaf.com/membership
So you say you are Black and descended from slaves? Fine, there are organizations for you to join but you have to still prove your credentials! Race alone will not do! One is for the Americas https://sdusmp.org/join/ and another which is international!
https://www.isdsa6365.com/membership
Perhaps you have a Confederate heritage but do not want to bite into controversy or maybe your have ancestors on both sides of the Civil War. Try the National Order of the Blue and the Gray at http://www.nobg.org/
So you have ancestors who supported the Revolution, but others who were loyal to Britain? There is an organization for this too!
https://loyalistsandpatriots.org/membership/
Here is one many veteran families know, the Sons of the American Legion
https://www.legion.org/sons/join
What about the early Quakers like Betsy Ross? Try the National Society of Descendants of Early Quakers. I may be joining this organization soon!
http://www.earlyquakers.org/membership.html
Pilgrims? Boston Bay Colony? Try the Winthrop Society!
https://www.winthropsociety.com/how-to-join
Did your ancestors foster a soon-to-be state, like New Hampshire? Try First Families of New Hampshire!
http://www.firstfamiliesofnewhampshire.org/
Are you a woman who has an ancestor accused of witchcraft? There is an organization for this!
And there are new ones coming online such as the Descendants of the Boston Tea Party!
https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/boston-tea-party-descendants
Now, you don’t have to join any of these organizations, but you should join the trend in finding out your long-deceased relatives and the lives they led. In an age where so much importance is placed on identity, knowing your heritage can help. It is better than a video game, more fascinating than a treasure hunt, and while it can be nerve-wracking at times, it has many rewards!