A Nation of Descendants: Politics and the Practice of Genealogy in U.S. History

National Archives Museum
Online

Francesca Morgan traces Americans’ fascination with tracking family lineage through three centuries. She examines how specific groups throughout history grappled with finding and recording their forebears, focusing on Anglo-American, Mormon, African American, Jewish, and Native American people. She explores how genealogy has always mattered in the United States, whether for taking stock of kin when organizing a family reunion or drawing on membership—by blood or other means—to claim rights to land, inheritances, and more. And today, millions of people have used DNA kits to learn about their medical histories, biological parentage, and ethnic background. Joining the author in conversation will be Karin Wulf, Director and Librarian of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University.