Atlanta Genealogy

05/29/2026

On this day, 29 May 1780, Patriot forces under Col. Abraham Buford were overtaken near the Waxhaws by British cavalry under Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton in one of the most brutal clashes of the Revolutionary War.

For many Americans, the battle became more than a military defeat. The memory of what happened at Waxhaws spread quickly and became a rallying cry: “Remember Waxhaws!”

For genealogists, this is a reminder that war leaves more than military records. It leaves trauma, memory, family stories, pension claims, local histories, and communities shaped by loss.

This is why we must tie history to our research. Sometimes the events that shaped an ancestor’s life were remembered long after the battle itself was over.

Atlanta Genealogy
Helping families connect the records to the story.

05/28/2026

On this day, 28 May 1754, a young George Washington and his Virginia Regiment clashed with a French party at Jumonville Glen in western Pennsylvania.

For genealogists, this is a reminder that the story of the American Revolution did not begin suddenly in 1775. Earlier frontier conflicts shaped military service, migration, land claims, alliances, and the records our ancestors left behind.

This is why we must tie history to our research. Sometimes the records that help explain a Revolutionary War ancestor begin years before the Revolution itself.

Atlanta Genealogy
Helping families connect the records to the story.

05/27/2026

I’m in Fort Wayne, Indiana this week for the NGS Family History Conference, representing the Genealogical Speakers Guild and continuing to sharpen my own skills as a professional genealogist.

Conferences like this matter because genealogy is not just about finding records — it is about learning better methods, staying current with new tools and resources, and connecting with other professionals who are serious about preserving family history.

At Atlanta Genealogy, my goal is to help families connect the records to the story.

www.AtlantaGenealogy.com

05/26/2026

Driving to the NGS Conference yesterday, I passed through Fort Recovery, Ohio, and was reminded why I often say in my presentations that we must tie history to our research.

Memorial Day reaches farther than the larger, better-known wars. Here, 997 U.S. soldiers are remembered for lives lost in the Battle of the Wabash (1791) and the Battle of Fort Recovery (1794). These men did not fall in a war most Americans talk about often, but their sacrifice was real, and their stories are part of our nation’s history.

For genealogists, places like this remind us that military service, sacrifice, migration, settlement, and family history are deeply connected.

Atlanta Genealogy
Helping families connect the records to the story.
www.AtlantaGenealogy.com

05/25/2026

My Memorial Day Blog is posted! https://atlantagenealogy.com/memorial-day-genealogy/

Send a message to learn more

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is not simply the unofficial start of summer. It is the day set aside to remember those who served and never came home — those who never had the chance to take off the uniform.

For genealogists, military records are not just names, ranks, units, and dates. They point us to people, families, sacrifice, loss, memory, and stories that deserve to be preserved.

This Memorial Day, take time to remember the service members in your family tree whose stories may still be waiting in records, letters, photographs, newspapers, pension files, and family memory.

Atlanta Genealogy
Helping families connect the records to the story.

05/24/2026

On this day, 24 May 1775, John Hancock was elected president of the Second Continental Congress.

When we think about the American Revolution, we often think first of soldiers, battles, and military service. But the Revolution also created records through politics, leadership, committees, petitions, legislative action, correspondence, and local civic involvement.

For genealogists, that matters. An ancestor may not have carried a musket, but he may have signed a petition, served on a committee, supplied the cause, supported local government, or lived in a community shaped by revolutionary politics.

This is why we must tie history to our research. Not all Revolutionary records are military records — politics and leadership created records too.

Atlanta Genealogy
Helping families connect the records to the story.

05/23/2026

Might want to take advantage of these

05/23/2026

Hope to see some of you there!!

👍YES!!! Join THE GENEALOGICAL SPEAKERS GUILD next month for the NATIONAL GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY FAMILY HISTORY CONFERENCE! We're exhibiting, and we're looking for volunteers to maintain and host our booth. Let's make this a memorable and enriching experience for you by representing the Guild, meeting new people, --greeting, welcoming, and celebrating with our community of genealogists!

GSG Members, we're seeking one committed, lucky attendee to serve as our GSG Booth Coordinator; --and we'll make it worth your while! We'll compensate you for your service by covering your conference admission fee. Interested? Comment below or reach out to our President, Larry W. Thomas via email, at president@genealogicalspeakersguild.org for questions or details. Hope you'll join us!!! There's still time to register!!! 🤩🥳

05/23/2026

On this day, 23 May 1777, Patriot forces under Lt. Col. Return Jonathan Meigs carried out a raid at Sag Harbor, New York, attacking British supplies and vessels in a smaller but successful Revolutionary action.

For genealogists, this is a reminder that not every ancestor served in a famous battle. Smaller raids, militia actions, supply missions, alarms, and local operations also created records — and those records may be the very ones that help tell an ancestor’s story.

This is why we must tie history to our research. Our ancestors may have taken part in events that rarely make the textbook, yet still left traces in military records, pension files, local histories, and community memory.

Atlanta Genealogy
Helping families connect the records to the story.

05/21/2026

On this day, 21 May 1917, the Great Atlanta Fire began, destroying hundreds of homes and displacing thousands of people.

For genealogists, disasters like this are a reminder that families do not move only because they want to. Fires, floods, wars, and economic hardship can force relocation, disrupt communities, and leave a trail of records behind — newspapers, insurance records, city directories, maps, relief records, and rebuilding permits.

This is why we must tie history to our research. When an ancestor suddenly appears at a new address, in a new neighborhood, or in another city, the answer may lie in the history happening around them.

Atlanta Genealogy
Helping families connect the records to the story.